US Open loss to Rafael Nadal may be great boost for my career, says Thiem

Dominic Thiem got very close to reach the US Open semifinals but he lost to Rafael Nadal in the fifth set tie-break, which definitely left him disappointed but at the same time, he took many positives.

'It was a very tough loss but it didn’t take me I think five minutes to get over it because I realized straightaway how great that match was, how amazing we both played for almost five hours.

I straightaway realized that it was a great boost for the rest of the year or maybe for all my career so it didn’t take me very long to get over it', said in an interview to Sport 360.

Thiem, who would win the St. Petersburg Open a couple of weeks after. Thiem indicates a match against Nadal, the French Open final straight sets loss, as the biggest lesson he learned this year.

'Because I played semis the two previous years but still I was pretty far from making it to the finals.

This year in the final it was the first time in my career I came really, really close to my absolute goal which I’ve been hunting since I was a young kid.

This was a special feeling and it had quite a big impact on myself. I didn’t realize how much I started to think about it and everything.

It was a very good lesson', the 24-year-old admitted.

Thiem also believes that a breakthrough from young players will happen.

'The change has to happen at some point and I think next year, or at the latest in two years we will see a different Slam winner again I think.