Dominic Thiem: 'I want to beat Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros'

The US Open champion Dominic Thiem wants to take the next step and beat Rafael Nadal en route to the Roland Garros crown this year!

The Austrian lost two consecutive finals in Paris to Rafa in 2018 and 2019, facing the Spaniard four times at their favorite Major and winning only one set! It came in 2019 when Thiem stole the second set against Nadal, only to fade from the court in the rest of the encounter and suffer a 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 loss in three hours.

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Praising Nadal and his achievements in Paris, Thiem reminded that Rafa has lost only two Roland Garros matches in 16 years, calling it one of the most outstanding achievements in our sport. Last October, Rafa won the 13th crown in Paris without losing a set, while Dominic lost an epic quarter-final battle against Diego Schwartzman that lasted for five hours.

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"Rafael Nadal is in the league of his own at Roland Garros; I have never managed to beat him there. I'm confident against him at other tournaments, but it becomes extra tough on Court Philippe-Chatrier; it's one of our sport's toughest challenges. He lost twice in 16 years in Paris; that's insane. Rafa should be the favorite in Paris for another year or two, but I will try to beat his this season," Dominic Thiem said.