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The Baseline Player of the Week: Dominic Thiem

By Niko Vercelletto

In one of the most unexpected Grand Slam finals in recent history, Dominic Thiem came back from two sets down to defeat his friend Alexander Zverev, 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 7-3, 7-6 (6) to pick up his first US Open title.

Looking like Zverev was going to make the final a blowout, Thiem rallied from behind to take the match to a deciding final-set tiebreak.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 13: (L-R) Dominic Thiem of Austria embraces Alexander Zverev of Germany after winning their Men's Singles final match on Day Fourteen of the 2020 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 13, 2020 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
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Thiem has now made tennis history, becoming the second Austrian man after Thomas Muster to win a Grand Slam title. Along the way, the 27-year-old took out Juame Munar, Sumit Nagal, Marian Cilic, Alex de Minaur and 2019 finalist Daniil Medvedev.

Despite neither finalist encountering any of the Big 3 along the way, Thiem said that doesn't matter.

“It doesn’t matter at the end who did I beat or which tournament it is,” he told reporters. “We both didn’t face one of the Big Three, so I guess that was in the back of the head for both of us. That’s why we were on nerves.”

Novak Djokovic congratulated both players on social media after the match. The world No. 1 was disqualified from the tournament after unintentionally hitting a lineswoman with a ball.

Thiem becomes the first man since Pancho Gonzales in 1949 to win the US Open title after losing the first two sets. The Austrian has played three previous Grand Slam finals, losing to Rafael Nadal twice at the French Open and Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open.