"The announcer starts introducing Rafa and the crowd goes wild," Thiem recounts the difficulty of facing Nadal at Roland Garros
A two-time finalist at the Roland Garros tournament, Thiem has lost each time to the king of clay: Rafael Nadal. A situation many players have experienced, as the left-hander remains undefeated in the tournament's finals.
Interviewed on the YouTube channel "Business of Sport" podcast, the Austrian revealed that the pressure of facing the Spaniard is felt as early as the warm-up:
"If you're Rafa's opponent in the Roland Garros final, it's not easy, and the tournament doesn't make it any easier for you. All tennis fans know this. You enter the main court to warm up before the match, the announcer introduces you, the crowd applauds, and then he starts introducing Rafa.
He announces: 'Roland Garros champion in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008…' The crowd goes wild, then he continues with 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013… You've already lost the match. It's one of the worst things I've ever experienced."
For reference, the two have faced each other 16 times on the tour, mostly on clay (12 times). Thiem has won 4 times on this surface (with 8 losses) and twice on hard court (with 2 losses).
