With the three of them forging an unforgettable legacy in modern tennis, it has been difficult for anyone else in the current era to make a strong enough mark. While a few players have troubled the Big 3 occasionally, none of them have shown the consistency to truly break their hegemony.

But six-time Grand Slam champion Boris Becker believes there is, finally, a clear-cut fourth-best player on the block. The 52-year-old said that World No. 3 Dominic Thiem is currently the best player behind Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Becker also named a couple of other players from the younger generation, showering praise on Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev in particular.

However, the German later added that he would like to see the Next Gen step up before the Big 3 faded away due to age.

Dominic Thiem’s recent numbers and performances against Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer

It’s not without reason that Becker thinks of Dominic Thiem as the top challenger to the Big 3. Thiem has been one of the most consistent players on tour of late, which saw him rise to a career-best ranking of No. 3 in March.

The Austrian has made three Grand Slam finals in the last two years, coming up against Rafael Nadal twice at Roland Garros before running into Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open.

Thiem came painfully close to dethroning Novak Djokovic in Melbourne, taking the Serb to five sets. The World No. 1 managed to pull through after a grueling encounter, but not before Thiem showed that he is ready to win his first Major title.

The 26-year-old was disappointed to miss out on his maiden Slam, but said that he is keen to ride on his wave of good form.

Dominic Thiem had a successful 2019 too, making the finals of Roland Garros and the year-end championships. He boasted of a win/loss record of 49-19 for the year, and also won the Indian Wells title - where he beat none other than Roger Federer in the final.

Thiem in fact has a great record against the Swiss maestro; he leads Roger Federer 5-2 in the head-to-head. That includes the straight-sets win he recorded at the ATP Finals, which was followed two days later by a thunderously powerful performance against Novak Djokovic

Thiem’s improved performances outside clay gave him the impetus to start 2020 with a bang, and he ended up reaching his first Slam final on hardcourt.

Can Thiem be the one to dethrone the Big 3? Only time can tell for sure, but the signs have been promising so far in 2020.

0 votes