Dominic Thiem Wants To Replicate Federer-Nadal Rivalry With Alexander Zverev

Dominic Thiem is hoping to replicate the legendary Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal rivalry with Alexander Zverev with both players playing their best tennis this season.

Also, the Austrian is the only player to have beaten Nadal on clay since his return from injury in 2017. Thiem was also the only player to beat both Federer and the Spaniard in 2017, when the duo dominated the ATP tour winning a combined 13 titles which included equally sharing all four Grand Slams titles.

Thiem is seen as the Spaniard’s biggest challenge at the ongoing French Open and he came into the tournament having won his second clay court title of the season at the Lyon Open. The world number eight revealed that the knowledge of knowing that he can beat Nadal – the king of clay – on his favorite surface serves him well and is hoping it will help if he makes it to the latter stages of the second Grand Slam of the year at Roland Garros.

“If I play well, I can hurt everyone I think,” Thiem said ahead of the French Open, as quoted on Tennis World USA. “With my powerful shots, my serve and my aggressivity. It's nice to know that at my best, I can beat Rafa (Nadal) on clay. It's also a good thing to know.”

Apart from Thiem, Germany’s Zverev has also challenged the world’s top two ranked players in the last 12 months. He beat Novak Djokovic in the finals of the Italian Open last year before going on to beat Federer at the Rogers Cup in Montreal.

The 21-year-old, who has three Masters Series titles already to his name, came close to beating Nadal in this year’s Italian Open final. He is currently ranked number three in the world just behind the Spaniard and Federer, who are one and two respectively.

The top two in the ATP men’s singles ranking have a long-standing rivalry that began in 2004 and are the greatest players of the current generation. It is one of sports’ best ever rivalries and Thiem believes it has stood the test of time because they both pushed each other to new limits.

The Austrian is hoping the new generation can take over and emulate their domination and believes it will be "beautiful" if he and Zverev take over and form a similar rivalry in the years to come. They have already faced each other six times thus far with Thiem holding a 4-2 advantage over the German.

“What Nadal and (Roger) Federer did is unique. We have the two best players in history that belong to the same generation. Everyone encouraged each other,” Thiem said.

“That's why they keep for so much time. Now, it's also good that other names come up. It's good for tennis, for everyone, to see a new rivalry at the top and it would be beautiful if it could be Sascha and me,” the Austrian added.

Thiem, meanwhile, began his French Open campaign with a win over Ilya Ivashka on Monday and will now face Greek sensation Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round on Wednesday.