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Thiem gives men’s tennis its first new Grand Slam champion in six years after an epic encounter that lasted four hours and two minutes. Joins Thomas Muster as the only Austrian to win a major title
Last Updated: 09/14/20 3:01 am
Dominic Thiem claimed his first Grand Slam title at the US Open
Dominic Thiem staged a remarkable comeback to seal his first Grand Slam title on the fourth down as he fought two sets to defeat Alexander Zverev 2-6 4-6 6-4 6-3 7-6 (8-6) at the US Open finale on Sunday.
Thiem could barely walk, but he finally took the opportunity to step out of the shadows of his illustrious contemporaries to claim his first Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows.
Second-seeded Thiem had lost all three of his previous Grand Slam finals – twice to Rafael Nadal at the French Open and world number one Novak Djokovic in Australia earlier this year – but he eventually broke the line here in New York in unique circumstances.
With Djokovic, Nadal and Roger Federer, the sport’s big three all absent from the final weekend of this year, tennis now has a new Grand Slam champion at Thiem for the first time since Marin Cilic took the title here in 2014. .
We made great things happen on the court, as well as off the court. It’s amazing how far our journey took us to share this moment. I really wish we could have two winners. We both deserve it. I remember you told me: ‘You’re going to make it.’ I will tell you the same. You will make it through and you will definitely bring it home one day.
Thiem paid tribute to his very good friend Zverev
The 23-year-old Zverev is the youngest male Grand Slam finalist for a decade, since Djokovic in 2010, and was looking to become the first German male winner of the US Open since Boris Becker in 1989.
He was also seeking revenge after losing to Thiem in the Australian Open semi-final earlier this year and got off to an ideal start by breaking in the third game thanks to some brutal punches.
Zverev has struggled to find something close to his best form for most of this tournament, but he swung freely and aggressively to bring it to Thiem, who seemed nervous.
He was proving to be the dominant force with a new break in the seventh game before pulling off the opener in just 30 minutes. He lost just three points on serve, which reached an impressive high of 138 mph, in addition to hitting 16 winners.
Thiem has shown great understanding of his opponent’s game and headed to the final having won seven of his previous nine contests, but the head-to-head record went out the window at Arthur Ashe Stadium when the 27-year-old Austria was further behind at the beginning of the next.
The alarm bells were ringing for Thiem as more errors helped contribute to a 4-1 loss. The next two games were on service before the second seed posted his first service break of the game. A wonderful winner down the stretch helped Thiem close the deficit further, but Zverev’s serve and volley tactics allowed him to close it out and move one set away from his first Grand Slam.
Alexander Zverev vs Dominic Thiem: match statistics
| Zverev | Match statistics | Thiem |
|---|---|---|
| fifteen | Aces | 8 |
| fifteen | Double fouls | 8 |
| 70% | First serve win percentage | 68% |
| 41% | Second serve win percentage | 48% |
| 8/18 | Break points won | 7/13 |
| 52 | Total winners | 43 |
| 64 | Unforced errors | 55 |
| 43/66 | Net points earned | 23/31 |
| 159/322 | Total points earned | 163/322 |
In addition to leading love by two sets, Zverev also served for the match in the fifth set
Thiem, who was concerned about an Achilles problem he suffered during his semi-final win over Daniil Medvedev, seemed to move well enough but was up against a player who seemed to be on a mission to finish things off.
Zverev had the trophy in his sights when he broke the 2-1, but Thiem, encouraged by his coach Nicolas Massu, somehow found a second wind to counter-attack immediately. The set was on service until the 10th game when Zverev threw some poor serves under pressure to return his opponent.
A tenacious Thiem felt fear on Zverev’s arm to fight the urge. He made a crucial breakthrough in the eighth game of the fourth set before serving it up to send a drama-filled finale to a decisive run of sets.
The match looked very different now, as Thiem sought to become the first man in the Open era to come back from two sets behind to win the final in New York.
Thiem is the first player to win the US Open / US Championships title with two sets less since Pancho Gonzales in 1949.
Thiem is also the first player to capture a Grand Slam title with two sets less since Gaston Gaudio at the French Open in 2004.
The pair traded breaks at the start of the fifth before the competition turned into a battle of endurance until the eighth game when Zverev seized a break point opportunity after forcing an injured Thiem to make a backhand error.
Serving for his first major title, the fifth seed failed to seize his big opportunity in a game filled with tension and errors as Thiem hit straight.
At 5-5, Zverev gave up on serve, firing forehand long at the break point to give Thiem a chance to get the game, but not before the Austrian called in his coach for a thigh massage.
There are some special people missing from the crowd today. I want to thank my parents. They are always with me. Unfortunately, my mom and dad tested positive for Covid before the tournament and couldn’t be with me. I miss you. Man, this is tough. I’m sure that even though I lost, they are very proud and I wish one day I could take this trophy home.
Zverev burst into tears during the post-match ceremony.
Unbelievably, Zverev backed down to send a dramatic match into a decisive tie-break. Thiem, physically ill, limped around the back of the court, worried about a cramp and his Achilles problem.
Two double faults by Zverev gave his opponent the mini advantage before the German saved two championship points. Thiem quickly prepared a third chance and this time it worked out when Zverev’s backhand landed off the mark.
A euphoric Thiem collapsed on the court in celebration and exhaustion before sharing an emotional hug with his defeated opponent.
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