Dominic Thiem shares what doctors have told him about his injury as he makes claim about Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal

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Dominic Thiem disclosed how competing with Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic contributed to his injury issues.

The Austrian was one of the most electrifying shotmakers on the tour and possessed one of the most fearsome backhands in the game.

Throughout the second half of the 2010s, Dominic Thiem was consistently one of the ‘Big Three’s toughest opponents.

They produced some of the best matches in recent memory and he recorded his fair share of wins against the trio during his career, one some of the game’s biggest stages.

How are Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic linked to Dominic Thiem’s injuries?

Like many opponents over the last two decades, to win the big titles at least one of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic usually stood in their way.

Thiem picked up a combined 16 wins against the legendary trio, including victories in Grand Slams over Nadal at the Australian Open and Djokovic at Roland Garros.

But in his quest to defeat these players and win some of the game’s biggest titles, Thiem paid the price as he believes his efforts to reach the ‘Big Three’s level contributed to his injury woes.

“That contributed to the injury, definitely. I was competing with the three greatest of all time. That was intense,” Thiem told UTS.

“But also, all the years before I always had a big load and intensity in my practice. That’s something the doctor and many other people said: that at one point the wrist broke because of all the shots I did, all the hard practice I did all those years before.

“I was always striving to get better and get even closer to the best players in the world. I consider myself lucky to be in that timeline with the Big Three and all the other great players.”

What is Dominic Thiem’s head-to-head record against Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic?

Thiem played a combined 35 matches against Federer, Nadal and Djokovic in his career.

Of the 16 he played against the Spaniard, Thiem won on six occasions, including their 2020 Australian Open quarter-final.

The former World number three won five of his 12 contests against Djokovic including a thrilling five-set semi-final at the 2019 French Open. Against Federer however, Thiem held the advantage in their head-to-head rivalry.

They split their first four meetings at two wins apiece, before Thiem won their last three matches in 2019, including the Indian Wells Masters final where he came from a set down to win his only Masters 1000 title.