Why Dominic Thiem won his first Grand Slam title in 2020
The spectator's breath slipped into the stomach while Dominic Thiem reached for the forehand at 5: 5 in the fifth set ...
by Marco Kühn
last edit: Dec 26, 2020, 01:59 pm
He didn't play his best tennis, but that forehand sat along the line. He plowed, fought and played with heart. His peak performance was not achieved. But at 5: 5 in the fifth set in the final of the US Open against Alexander Zverev, Dominic Thiem began to unpack the decisive winners. They were the best strokes at the best time. They were proof that Dominic had matured into a real champion.
A little luck is always part of it. The journey to the first Grand Slam title was nerve-wracking. She showed that great strokes and permanent development are important. That innumerable sacrifices must be made. But it also showed that tennis is not only played in the head during, but also between rallies.
Roland Garros in 2019
0: 1. Rafa played his first service game comfortably in his living room. Thiem hit. The start of such a big final is important. The tactics in your head. The nervousness on the racket. Long rallies from the baseline. Dominic got into these especially mentally exhausting rallies. The sound of the covering revealed that Thiem hit the ball cleanly. At 30:15 the first attempt to lure the matador out of his terrain. A stop ball from Thiem that Nadal was just able to scrape from the ashes. The subsequent backhand pass was recognized by Rafa, he was almost with his stomach on the net. Nadal let the ball drain and played one of numerous volley-stop winners.
The audience jumped up and applauded. Thiem stayed cool. He did not let himself be shaken emotionally, but continued playing his game. Long baseline duels with whipping blows that chased the opponent across the field. Intelligently interspersed stops to be able to escape the topspin madness at the right moment. The clenched fist with a determined look at the box. Thiem played great tennis in this final. Until the point when Rafa inevitably seized the momentum.
In a tennis match, as spectators, we are passionately excited about the emotional rallies. But we don't see the emotions that these rallies leave in the player himself. From the third set on, it seemed like Nadal had won the emotional game. With Dominic, faith gave way to hope. After Nadal was able to successfully place more volley stops and dramatically reduced his error rate, Thiem seemed to lose hope as the match progressed.
Most players don't get that far against Rafael Nadal in Roland Garros. Even if Dominic couldn't feel it in this match on the court. The match showed that he already had a hand on the trophy of a grand slam.
Flushing Meadows in 2020
0-0. As a supposed favorite, such a final plays differently. The slice serve at 15:15 in the first service game flew quite far out of bounds. The look showed full concentration, despite the strong tension. The momentum in the forehand seemed to be slowed down, not as easy as usual. Every now and then the backhand was played as a slice. Was it a tactic because of the size of the opponent? Or the result of enormous nervousness? The truth is likely to be found in the middle.
And then what happened that hardly anyone had suspected before. Zverev not only hits many first serves, but also every corner of the field in the rally. As if it had been taken for granted, Zverev shuffled from winner to winner. Dominic must have raved inside, but remained calm on the outside. This game ran calmly until the 6: 2, 6: 4 and 2: 1 from the point of view of the giant with the necklaces. As in the previous year in Roland Garros, the third movement should put the emotional game in the foreground. At 2: 1 and Zverev serve, Thiem initially misses several break chances to finally make the break.
With Dominic, hope gave way to faith. Thiem did not play his best tennis. But his high tolerance for frustration and emotional control kept him in the game until he got the chances he was waiting for. There may be players who, instead of Thiem, would have complained to themselves about their level. These players would have lost the thread and the match. Thiem cursed after a rally in which he almost only played backhand slice. But he did this in order to be able to act with a clear head in the next important rally. He had learned to tick off rallies, control his emotions, and believe in himself. Even if the spectacular forehand doesn't come.
A strong forehand wins matches, the character wins the big titles
We have been able to watch Dominic Thiem become a champion in recent years. We learned that great shots are important in order to storm the semifinals and finals. We were also able to learn that in large matches there are countless factors that play out in the head.
Dominic Thiem won his first big title this year because he is a champion in terms of both play and character. He can not only beat the forehand cross over the net at a murderous pace. He can tick off slight mistakes and is a friend, not an enemy, to himself on the court.