French Open | Dominic Thiem heaps praise on Rafael Nadal's amazing clay run
After being comprehensively beaten by Rafael Nadal, Dominic Thiem has stated that the latterâs record is âexceptionalâ and his 11th French Open title is one of the best achievement in sports. He has also added that it was simply not his day and he couldnât succeed despite giving his everything.
Thiem was the only player to have beaten Nadal on clay in the last two years with a win in Madrid earlier this year and Rome Masters in 2017 and wanted to win his first slam. However, the âKing of Clayâ was just too hot for him to handle as Nadal kept his dominance on the Philippe Chatrier Court going to secure his 11th Roland Garros and 17th major title. Although Thiem didnât win, he is not short of any confidence.Â
âFor sure, me, Iâm confident that this was not my last Grand Slam final, and thatâs my biggest goal, to get into the next one and then to do it better than today. Itâs a really great thing, honestly, but still, Iâm disappointed, of course. It was a final. I really wanted to win,â Thiem was quoted as saying by BBC.
âI gave everything I had, and Iâm the loser of today. So
Nadalâs love-story with the Roland Garros is a story told so many times to be repeated here, and since winning the trophy for the first time as a 19-year-old in 2005, the Spaniard made it his own and didnât let any player achieve greatness at the French capital. And Thiem joked that he enjoyed Nadal more on TV as a child.Â
âPhysically I enjoyed more while watching him on the couch. When he won here the first four or five times, I was always watching it. Of course, itâs really a great thing that I made my way and that I was competing in a final against him.â
âItâs definitely one of the best things somebody ever achieved in