From Rafael Nadal's mental strength & Novak Djokovic's flexibility to Daniil Medvedev's determination: Dominic Thiem builds his perfect tennis player

Dominic Thiem recently created his perfect tennis player, combining elements from several ATP stars like Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Daniil Medvedev.

Thiem's 2023 season has been marked by inconsistency, as the Austrian has failed to reach his pre-injury levels. He was eliminated in the first rounds of all three Grand Slam competitions and recently suffered a second round defeat against Jiri Lehecka in the Croatia Open.

In a video with the ATP Tour, which was released on social media, Dominic Thiem chose Rafael Nadal's forehand for his perfect player to embody. For the backhand, the Austrian sided with Serbian tennis legend Novak Djokovic and chose John Isner's serve for the hypothetical player.

"(Forehand) Rafa. Sometimes it's not that obvious because all his game is so great. (Backhand) Novak. You shoot at him, in the shot, he'll always have an answer. (Serve) John Isner. For me his serve was the most tough to return," Thiem said.

When his player's flexibility came into question, the 29-year-old chose Djokovic and Grigor Dimitrov. Thiem chose the mental toughness of Nadal and Djokovic as well. To wrap it up, the 2020 US Open champion picked Daniil Medvedev's celebration skills.

"(Flexibility) Novak and Grigor (Dimitrov). Both of them can do the full split. (Mental Toughness) Novak and Rafa, they are on a very similar level. If you look at the statistics they will always be on the top I guess. Celebration, I'll go for Daniil (Medvedev). His celebration was iconic when he won the US Open," he added.

"Novak Djokovic will lose motivation once there is no more constant competition with Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer": Boris Becker's former coach Gunter Bresnik

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic

Boris Becker's former coach Gunter Bresnik believes that Novak Djokovic is in a position where he's losing motivation due to a lack of competition against his biggest rivals, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

Swiss tennis icon Roger Federer retired last year, while Nadal is expected to do the same next year. The Spaniard has dealt with numerous injuries in recent years and hasn't competed in the 2023 season since the Australian Open.

Gunter Bresnik believes that Federer and Nadal's absence from the sport will hinder Novak Djokovic's motivation.

"I have always said that Djokovic will lose motivation once there is no more constant competition with Nadal and Federer, and he has won 23 Grand Slam titles," he said.