“He will win it next year,” Gael Monfils picks Dominic Thiem to win French Open 2021, inspite of Rafael Nadal’s dominance
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Dominic Thiem, Rafael Nadal
Dominic Thiem lifted his maiden Grand Slam title quite convincingly. The World No.3 downed pal, Alexander Zverev 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(6) in the final showdown. Further, Thiem defeated the World No.1 and 2, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal en route to book a spot in the Round of two at the Nitto ATP Finals for the second consecutive year.
Thiem’s breakthrough at the Majors has lifted an immense pressure from his shoulders. This has led to a number of experts betting on him to claim more titles in the upcoming season.
“It’s Nadal’s style”- Monfils states the similarity between Thiem and Rafa
While Thiem is a top-tier player when it comes to the hard-courts, where he first made a name for himself were the clay courts. The Austrian rose in the ranks due to his impressive performance on the surface. He established himself as the ‘Price Of Clay,’ while Rafa retained the title of the king. The duo have clashed twice in the final, wherein Rafa vanquished Thiem.
In 2020, Thiem reached the quarter-final, and the Spaniard lifted his 13th Roland Garros title when he defeated Novak Djokovic in straight sets.
The fastest player on the ATP Tour, France’s Gael Monfils, has recently opined that Thiem will trump Nadal at Roland Garros in 2021. In an interview on the Winamax show, the 34-year-old stated, “He made the final at the Australian Open, he won the US Open. At Roland he has already made two finals. So obviously, I can see him winning next year.”
Monfils proceeded to compare Thiem’s style of play with that of Rafa’s. “What is strong about him (Dominic Thiem) is the intensity. He manages to put on each ball and on each point. The physical density he imposes on his opponents is impressive. It’s very hard to master when you are in front and its physical density. It’s impressive, it’s Nadal’s style,” he added.
On account of Thiem coming a set away from snagging the title, many have cited that he’s getting closer to beating the ‘King of Clay.’ However, whether or not this occurs, only time will tell.
Also Read: Proof that Dominic Thiem was a Champion in the making since he was 13 years old
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Chhavi Jindal
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