Why men's tennis needs Dominic Thiem back in action more than ever
Assuming you're not a Dominic Thiem fan, most casual tennis viewers are unlikely to pick the Austrain's name if asked to choose the player they have missed the most on the men's tour this year. Most will go for the usual suspects -- Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer -- while some might even pick Stan Wawrinka.
But Thiem's absence has arguably created a greater imbalance in the upper echelon of the sport, and he is needed back as much as the two heavyweights of men's tennis for reasons more than one.
Dominic Thiem can make a positive comeback
Dominic Thiem sustained a painful wrist injury at the Mallorca Championships a few months ago. This eventually brought an end to his season because his joint needed more time to recover.
The Austrian finished the year with a 9-9 win-loss record, further magnifying the poor start to the season he endured. Thiem fell early in most tournaments, with his best result coming at the Madrid Masters, where he lost in the semifinals.
The injury hiatus has pushed Thiem to No. 15 in the rankings and is likely to push him further down by the time the Australian Open comes along. But, based on his previous performances, it is very likely that, once fully fit, the 2020 US Open champion can reclaim his place among the best in men's tennis alongside the Djokovices and the Medvedevs.
Why has Dominic Thiem's poor form & absence caused an imbalance at the top of men's tennis?
Men's tennis in 2021 has been all about Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev, with Alexander Zverev making some notable appearances (Tokyo Olympics, Madrid Masters, Cincinnati Masters, and ATP Finals).
Almost every non-grass event sees fans and bookies placing all their faith in one of these three players. And like clockwork, one of the three (mostly Djokovic) has delivered, making the sport largely predictable.
While being predictable is not a particularly bad thing, having just three players to bet your house on takes some sheen away from the sport, just as it did during Roger Federer's peak era.
While Stefanos Tsitsipas did deliver during the clay season and also upset Rafael Nadal in Melbourne, he has since come up as a cropper on tour.
Meanwhile, Nadal's absence post-Roland Garros further depleted the options. But with his age and injury concerns, can he be as big a threat in non-clay events as before? The Spaniard's return will sure to amplify the options, but with a largely hardcourt-dominated tour, you probably wouldn't want to bet on him against the likes of Medvedev and Zverev.
Roger Federer's presence on tour is now largely sentimental. It is unlikely he will prove to be a big threat anywhere outside Wimbledon, given he will turn 41 in 2022 and has seen his knees suffer miserably in the past couple of years.
The likes of Hubert Hurkacz, Casper Ruud, Matteo Berrettini, Jannik Sinner, and Denis Shapovalov have displayed plenty of quality and have significantly improved in 2021. But as things stand, they are still far from threatening Djokovic, Zverev, and Medvedev on a regular basis.
Dominic Thiem has a solid record against both the Big 3 & the Next Gen
This is where Dominic Thiem plays an important role. The Austrian has shown in the past that he can do more than stand up to Djokovic, Medvedev, Zverev, and even Nadal and Federer.
The 28-year-old has a 3-2 head-to-head advantage against Daniil Medvedev and has defeated Zverev eight times in 11 matches. Thiem also has the upper hand against Stefanos Tsitsipas, having defeated him five times in eight meetings.
When it comes to the Big 3, Dominic Thiem has an impressive five wins in twelve matches against Novak Djokovic. He has also defeated Rafael Nadal six times in 15 fixtures and Federer a whopping five times in seven matches.
From these numbers, it is clear that Thiem serves as a defensive measure against the Big 3 as well as the Next Gen. He is a thorn in the sides to both sets of players whenever he is fit and in form.
Currently, Novak Djokovic's threats on hardcourt include Medvedev and Zverev. On clay, Tsitsipas and Nadal would join the list while Medvedev would be excluded. With a fully fit Dominic Thiem, the triage of Djokovic, Medvedev, and Zverev would have a tougher time winning hardcourt tournaments.
At the same time, the Austrian also offers greater resistance on clay, given he has beaten Nadal, Djokovic, and Tsitsipas -- three of the top claycourters -- on the surface.
Thiem is a perfect balancing act
However, the World No. 15 has an inferior head-to-head record against some of the players in the bottom half of the top 10.
Matteo Berrettini has defeated Thiem thrice in five matches, and so has Andrey Rublev. Hubert Hurkacz, meanwhile, has a 100% record against the Austrian, having defeated him in both their encounters.
Thiem's record against Rublev is interesting. The Russian, who has largely been a punching bag for Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev, seemingly has Thiem's number, given he has now beaten the Austrian three times in a row.
So while Thiem can make Djokovic, Medvedev, Zverev, Nadal, Tsitsipas, and Federer struggle, the fact that he faces difficulties against the lesser of the top-ranked players makes him a perfect balancing act.
Dominic Thiem could be a role model for the game
Many fans regard Dominic Thiem as one of the purest souls in men's tennis, who emanates only goodness whenever he speaks or plays.
Thiem has championed environmental causes and campaigned to save the ocean and the bees. Thiem even makes it a point to direct sponsors interested in him towards wheelchair tennis -- a facet of the game he constantly throws his weight behind.
Many fans think Daniil Medvedev to be a great individual with an incredible sense of humor. But others think he lacks the positive charisma that Thiem possesses, which makes him an inferior option to be the face of men's tennis after the Big 3.
There is a section of tennis fans who believe that Alexander Zverev, for all his talents, should not be the face of men's tennis, given the allegations of domestic violence leveled at him by former partner Olya Sharypova.
The void among the new crop of players is where Thiem can step in as a role model on and off the court when the Big 3 bid adieu to the big stage.
Thiem still has several years of top-level tennis left in him, during which time he will likely add to his Grand Slam tally.
But even if Thiem never wins a Grand Slam again, many are of the opinion that he is the ideal individual to be the face of men's tennis once the Big 3 fade away, both in terms of ability and being a role model. And for this reason, the tour needs the Austrian back, firing on all cylinders.
Besides, who wouldn't want to watch Thiem pulverize the tennis ball again, especially with his one-handed backhand?
Dominic Thiem with an unbelievable backhand! 💥
Rafael Nadal's reaction says it all 😳
@bcnopenbs https://t.co/78f9oYDK9t
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