Could mobile phones be one reason why Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic dominated?

Kevin Palmer
Dominic Thiem, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer
Dominic Thiem received tributes from Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer

Dominic Thiem has thrown up an intriguing theory to explain one part of the reason why the generation of players that tried and failed to end Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic’s dominance of men’s tennis came up short.

Thiem called time on his career earlier this month and received plenty of plaudits from his rivals, with Federer, Nadal and Djokovic among those leading the tributes to the 2020 US Open champion.

Prior to the emergence of the most successful players in the history of the men’s game, the notion of winning 20 or more Grand Slam singles titles seemed fanciful.

Yet Federer broke that glass ceiling by becoming the first to reach the milestone of 20, with Nadal and Djokovic sailing past him in the final analysis of their compelling rivalry.

The dominance of those three players over two decades was solidified by the failure of at least one generation of star names to find a way to beat them, with the likes of Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Grigor Dimitrov knocking on the door of Grand Slam titles and failing to get over the line.

Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka and Juan Martin del Potro did manage to trouble the ‘Big 3’, as did Thiem, who has a winning record in his head-to-head battles with Federer and also picked up big wins against Nadal and Djokovic.

Thiem called time on his career at the age of 31 earlier this month after losing his battle with ongoing injuries and in a compelling appearance on the latest A New Way of Being podcast, the Austrian reflected on why the standards set by the ‘Big 3’ was too much for the chasing pack to handle.

Many have suggested the boom in the use of mobile phones and the internet has had a negative impact on the mindset of the youth and Thiem believes it could also have been a distraction for young tennis players who lacked the appetite to reach for the stars.

“I don’t think that it’s a coincidence that there are so many unbelievable athletes born in the generation between like 1981 and 1987,” said Thiem.

“In those six years, you had Roger (Federer), (Lionel) Messi, (Cristiano) Ronaldo, (Lewis) Hamilton, Novak (Djokovic), Andy (Murray), Rafa (Nadal), LeBron James. Then a little bit older, there is Tom Brady and Michael Jordan.

“So it just cannot be a coincidence, and maybe we were like the generation, the first one with the smartphone, which is definitely harming concentration, harming focus.

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“Maybe there is a connection between that and maybe now, if we see like Carlos (Alcaraz) and Jannik (Sinner), who are about to win so many Grand Slams, maybe like this generation got used to it already a little bit and it’s easier for them to still focus for five hours with the smartphone. Who knows? But it’s a very interesting point.

“Everything in life is so fast now and we get disconnected from it at times, so it’s good to get back to it.”

In another fascinating glimpse into the mindset of a top player, Thiem suggested controlling your mind on the court is as significant as mastering your technique or your serve.

When asked by host Simon Mundie about the challenges of staying in the moment when the pressure is applied he offered this response.

“It happens when you are 12-years-old in front of no people and it happens in a Grand Slam final,” added Thiem, as he spoke about his doubts when he was on court.

“It’s how you deal with it and I could really relate to what Novak said at the start of this year. He said it’s not about having a negative moment, it is how to go through the tough moments.

“Most athletes and people are like this. In the end, we are all human beings and it would be important if more people were aware of this because it can help you through situations every day.

“On a tennis court, when you are in a tight situation, this is a mirror of life in many ways.”

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