Dominic Thiem held his own by winning 16 matches against the legendary trio of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer in their prime. Among these victories, one match truly stands out for the Austrian star.
As a former world No. 3, Thiem consistently proved his prowess against the Big Three on the ATP Tour. He boasts an impressive 5-2 record against Federer, a competitive 5-7 against Djokovic, and a solid 6-10 against Nadal.
Thiem chose his favourite win against the 'Big 3'
The winner of the 2020 edition of the Flushing Meadows, who has recently bid farewell to the sport due to a wrist injury and fluctuating form in recent years, reflected on his career and highlighted his most memorable match against three tennis legends. He chose his remarkable 2019 ATP Finals victory over Novak Djokovic as his standout performance.
During the round-robin phase of the tournament, the two players engaged in a fierce and thrilling contest. After nearly three hours of intense play, the Austrian triumphed with a scoreline of 6–7 (5–7), 6–3, 7–6 (7–5).
“I think against Novak in 2019 in the [ATP] Finals in London. I would always say when I get asked that this was the best I ever played." Thiem said.
“I woke up sick actually and I think that gave me a little bit of looseness to let go. I was in great shape playing-wise back then and I was loosening up a little bit as I said," he added.
Dominic Thiem ended his tennis career following his home tournament in Vienna in October. Throughout his journey, he achieved some milestones, including winning one Grand Slam title and reaching the finals of three others. Overall, he secured 17 ATP Tour singles titles.
The Big 3 contributed to Thiem's retirement.
Thiem had openly acknowledged the competition posed by the Big Three, pushed him to his limits in the matches, and that played a factor in contributing to his wrist injuries.
“That contributed to the injury, definitely, I was competing with the three greatest of all time. That was intense. But also, all the years before I always had a big load and intensity in my practice. That’s something the doctor and many other people said: that at one point the wrist broke because of all the shots I did, all the hard practice I did all those years before." Thiem said.