Thiem sees Djokovic as a favorite at Grand Slams - with one exception
Especially in Grand Slam tournaments, Novak Djokovic has proven his top class in the recent past. For Dominic Thiem, the Serb is therefore the logical favorite for the upcoming major events. With one exception.
by Nikolaus Fink
last edit: Mar 16, 2023, 08:45 pm
Novak Djokovic is far from having enough. Although the 35-year-old drew level with Rafael Nadal in the all-time Grand Slam leaderboard at this year's Australian Open and now holds 22 major trophies, the Serb is far from thinking about saying goodbye to tennis. Because Djokovic has one goal: to go down in history as the best player of all time.
If you believe the words of Dominic Thiem, this endeavor seems to be quite successful. As the Austrian explained in the Eurosport podcast "Ruud Talk" with Barbara Schett and Casper Ruud, Djokovic is still "clearly the one to beat". Especially in Grand Slam tournaments.
However, Thiem named an exception. "The only tournament where it's different is Roland Garros. If Rafael (Nadal, note) is fit in France, then he's the one to beat. He won there 14 times, it's crazy "said the 29-year-old, who has already faced the Spaniard four times at the French Open. And only won one set.
This season, Thiem would have nothing against a "last big showdown" between Djokovic and Nadal. Because the Lower Austrian is also aware that the duels between the two exceptional talents will not be seen for too long, as the ravages of time are gnawing on the 36-year-old Nadal in particular.
In addition, according to Thiem, the generation after Djokovic and Nadal is ready. "I have the feeling that there are some players who can beat Djokovic and Nadal," said the 2020 US Open winner, naming Carlos Alcaraz, Casper Ruud, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev as the biggest competitors.
"So there are four or five guys who can beat anyone. That makes the whole thing very exciting," added Thiem. However, that does not change Djokovic's special position: "But if you have seen Novak's performances at the Australian Open, it is clear that he is the favorite at both Wimbledon and the US Open."