Dominic Thiem staged a remarkable comeback to seal his first career Grand Slam title, as he fought back from two sets down to defeat Alexander Zverev 2-6 4-6 6-4 6-3 7-6 (8-6) in the final of the US open on Sunday.
The second seed had lost all three previous Grand Slam finals – twice to Rafael Nadal at the French open and Novak Djokovic in the Australian open earlier this year, but he finally got over the line in New York in special circumstances.
With this victory, Thiem becomes the first male tennis Grand Slam champion in six years that is not Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer.
While reacting to his victory, Thiem paid tribute to close friend Zverev.
“We made great things happen in the court as well as off the court. It’s amazing how far our journey brought us to share this moment. Really I wish we could have two winners. We both deserve it. I remember you told me, ‘You’re going to make it.’ I’ll tell you the same thing. You’re going to make it and you’ll definitely bring it home.”
