ATP Finals: Dominic Thiem needs to be put in a class of his own

Dominic Thiem fought back brilliantly, defeating Novak Djokovic to advance to the ATP Finals title match. Here’s why the World No. 3 should be in a class of his own.

Dominic Thiem is a warrior. In a 2-hour and 57-minute epic, Thiem defeated World No. 1 Novak Djokovic 7-5, (10)6-7, 7-6(5) to advance to his second consecutive ATP Finals title match. In a match that featured just one break of serve (Thiem breaking Djokovic at 5-all in the first set), the World No. 3 pounded an incredible 47 winners over the course of this match. While it could be said that the Thiem-Nadal group stage match possessed a higher quality, this match will still go down as one of the best of the season.

After taking the first set, Thiem had four match points in the second (all in the tiebreak) but simply couldn’t capitalize. Moving into the final set, it was going to be crucial for him to reset and move forward. After losing the first four points of the deciding tiebreak, he won seven of the match’s final eight points, including six in a row.

"“It was for sure a mental battle. I got so tight in the second-set tie-break because to play these legends is always going to be something special,” Thiem said. “…After I fought so hard to get to the final in the group stage and as well now today. Of course, I will try everything to win the title.”"

Thiem’s victory today not only puts him into his second straight title match but also stops Djokovic from a shot at a record-tying sixth ATP Finals title (which would tie Roger Federer for the most all-time). For Thiem, a title here would only continue to show the world that he’s one of the best. In all honesty, he’s simply is above his NowGen counterparts, at least for the time being. It’s unfair to really compare him with the rest, as Thiem is three or more years older but given that they all rose through the rankings together, it’s just how it is.

Thiem’s ability to fight off deficits and struggles has been a key difference between him and the rest (Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, and Daniil Medvedev most notably). Take the US Open final, for example. The first two sets of that match against Zverev was arguably the worst tennis we had ever seen from him. Down two sets to love in the biggest match of his life, he fought back and finally came through to win his first Grand Slam title.

Another major difference between Thiem and the NowGen group is his record against the Big 3 in the last two seasons. 2019 is commonly known as the year that this group turned the corner on their careers, going from NextGen players of the future to the stars of now. Here are their records against the Big 3 since the start of last year.

Zverev: 3-1

Medvedev: 2-6

Tsitsipas: 4-9

Thiem: 9-3

Technically, Thiem’s record (percentage-wise) is the same as Zverev’s if you do a quick bit of division but what stands out the most is the larger sample size. More matches bode more chances to lose, as you can see with Tsitsipas and Medvedev. Thiem’s 9 wins over the last two seasons and today’s win over Djokovic makes him the second player to defeat all three members of the Big 3 five times each (Andy Murray).

I’m not even sure I can call this a bold prediction anymore, but Dominic Thiem will become the first non-Big 3 player to be World No. 1 since Andy Murray in 2016. There’s no denying that he’s one of the best players in the world and clearly above his NowGen compatriots. He’s the second-best clay-court player in the world, a lethal hard-court player due to his immense firepower from the baseline, and an absolute warrior akin to the legendary Big 3.

Dominic Thiem is in a class of his own. Is he in the Big 3? Of course not, but is he in the NowGen group? In terms of present success and future potential, I’d say no. As for now, I’ll call it (unoriginally) The Dominic Thiem Group. That is all.