Jack Draper reveals why Dominic Thiem is one of his tennis idols alongside compatriot Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic
Jack Draper named Dominic Thiem as one of his tennis idols. Like many other young players on tour, Draper also idolizes the Big 4 comprising Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray. However, he also holds Thiem in equally high regard.
Thiem, who has long been one of the players expected to take over from the Big 4, is now one of the experienced stars of this generation. For the 20-year-old Draper, the Austrian tennis superstar has been an example to follow over the years.
Speaking during his appearance on a recent episode of the ATP Tennis Radio Podcast, Draper revealed why Thiem is one of his idols alongside the Big 4, including fellow Brit and tennis great Murray.
"Obviously, you've got those Big 4, Andy included in that," Draper said. "I'll also probably say, Dominic Thiem. When I was younger, he was someone I used to love watching and was always following. So, I'd say, Murray, the Big 3, and Thiem."
Draper, who has qualified for this year's NextGen ATP Finals and is one of the rising stars on tour, went on to explain why he admires the likes of Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Murray, and Thiem. The British player lauded them for their hard work and fighting spirit during matches, highlighting that they never give up.
He also suggested that he benefits from learning something different from each of those players as they have unique styles.
"What they have in common is that they're incredible competitors on the tennis court. They all are quite electric when they're playing. You never know what's going to happen, but one thing you do know is that they're always going to be in the match and work hard for every point," Draper explained.
"Also, they've all got different styles and different ways of playing, and as a young player that is always exciting to see," he added.
Dominic Thiem continues to improve on comeback run as he nears Top 100 on ATP rankings
Dominic Thiem took another big step in his quest to return to the top, winning a thriller against World No. 30 Tommy Paul to begin his Vienna Open campaign on Tuesday. Thiem returned from a set down and saved two match points in the deciding set to beat Paul 2-6, 7-6(2), 7-6(6) in their Round of 32 match.
The Austrian, who started the week ranked No. 113, jumped to No. 107 in the live rankings after beating Paul, as he aims to return to the Top 100 before the season concludes.
Thiem started his comeback after a long injury layoff outside the Top 350 earlier this year and lost seven consecutive matches on tour, including a first-round defeat at the French Open. He has turned things around since, reaching the semifinals at three ATP tournaments, the latest being the European Open in Antwerp last week.
During a recent interview, the 29-year-old revealed that he felt very low after the French Open defeat before he started to feel confident again during the Swedish Open in July.