Dominic Thiem talks about why Alexander Zverev is his toughest non-Big 3 opponent

Dominic Thiem has a good camaraderie with many players including Alexander Zverev. While he holds an 8-2 head-to-head lead over the German, he still chooses him as his toughest opponent to play against besides the Big 3.

The Austrian Sportsman of the Year recently gave an interview with Sky Sports Germany. In the interview, he explained why he chose Zverev as his toughest foe on-court.

The Austrian liked the question of who his toughest opponent was outside of the Big 3. He acknowledged, “That’s a really good question. For me, personally, Sascha is the toughest opponent to play besides the Big 3. I already said it after the US Open, both our games make things difficult for the other one.”

Thiem praised Zverev’s commanding ability to serve and return, continuing, “For me, it’s tough to play against him because he serves and returns so well because I always have trouble finding a good tactical plan against him.”

Thiem has historically enjoyed playing against the German, only losing two against him. He is also on a four-match winning streak against him, with the last coming at the 2020 US Open. It was a special one as Thiem made a miraculous comeback to take the match and the title in five sets. Despite this, he still remains cautious about their future encounters.

“That’s why he is the toughest opponent, even though the last matches have gone my way. I’m already a bit scared thinking of our next matches, but I’m looking forward to it of course,” he added.

Dominic Thiem is set to participate next at the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals in London. The event features eight of the world’s top players, including Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Zverev, and himself. He took a call on his competitors’ chances at the title, picking who he thinks could be favorites.

He praised Russian Daniil Medvedev, remarking, “In Paris, Medvedev has made his way up on the list of favorites for London. I watched the final, he played incredible in the end, made no mistakes.” 

However, he also believes Medvedev’s younger compatriot Andrey Rublev also stands a good chance of competing for the title. He didn’t count out Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, however, adding that they are always the top favorites.

“But I would say besides Nadal and Djokovic, who are always the top favorites, Rublev is an extremely good candidate. He’s been in top form all year round and since we’ve resumed the tour after the corona break, he’s been even better,” the 27-year-old concluded.