Thiem says catching Big Four still long ways off

DOMINIC THIEM, the highest-ranked men”s tennis player without a Grand Slam title, begins his push to the US Open this week knowing the gap to the game’s big four remains large.

The 23-year-old Austrian, ranked a careerhigh seventh, and 20-year-old German Alexander Zverev, who reached a career-best eighth yesterday, are the top-ranked men’s players at the ATP and WTA Citi Open.

“We still have to win a lot of matches to deserve to be called the next big things in tennis,” Thiem said yesterday. “It's nice to hear that but I think it’s still a pretty long ways for both of us.”

World No. 1 Andy Murray, second-ranked Rafael Nadal, No. 3 Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, who will miss the rest of the year with an elbow injury, remain the gold standard in their 30s that Thiem and his fellow 20-somethings are chasing in the rankings and for Grand Slam crowns. “They are really special. It’s very unusual you have four players like this in one generation,” Thiem said.

“I think it’s getting a little better for the other players. They are starting to take a few tournaments. In the Grand Slams you would have to beat two or three (of them) in a run. That’s why other players haven’t won the big titles.” Thiem defeated Djokovic in the French Open quarterfinals to reach the last four at Roland Garros for the second consecutive year.

He lost there to Rafael Nadal, as he had in the Madrid and Barcelona finals, but Thiem recognises the value of a strong run-up to a Slam with the US Open looming in just four weeks.

“It’s important to find a strong game. It’s the start of a very long journey,” Thiem said.

“I hope it works out well here in Washington. We have a lot of tough matches ahead... there are only really tough matches.” – AFP