Tennis star Dominic Thiem won his first-ever Grand Slam title on Sunday, after a thrilling five-set victory over Alexander Zverev that capped off a 2020 U.S. Open tournament like no other.
"It feels great," Thiem told Cheddar from Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday. "What happened last night was a match that had everything [including] huge, huge drama at the end. I think it was a super great finals."
After losing the first two sets to 23-year-old German phenom Zverev, Thiem battled back to win the next two sets and, ultimately, close out the fifth set in a tiebreaker.
Adjusting to playing in a pandemic, Thiem admitted that taking the court without fans in the stands was a "little bit sad."
"Fans just give amazing energy to us," he continued. "It's one of the nicest things an athlete can experience…to enjoy an atmosphere of 23,000 people in this nice Arthur Ashe Stadium, but it is what it is."
This victory is the first Grand Slam title won by any men's player that isn't named Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, or Novak Djokovic since 2016, ending a dominant streak of 13 straight tournaments.
While Federer and Nadal chose to skip the tournament over coronavirus concerns, Djokovic was ejected from the U.S. Open when he inadvertently struck a lineswoman after hitting a ball in frustration towards the fence. He later profusely apologized for the incident.
"I think it's very good for men's tennis if there are fresh faces in the winning list of majors," Thiem said. "Younger players like us, I think we really have the potential to continue the story of what Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic started."
As for the celebration, the 27-year-old Austrian says he plans to fly back to Vienna to have a "big party" with family and friends, before looking ahead to the French Open set to begin on September 21.
"The French Open is one of my favorite tournaments," Thiem said, knowing the big three will be there to greet him. "Already now, I'm super pumped to play there."
Transgender athlete Chris Mosier says that times have changed, and there's less at risk for LGBT athletes to be their authentic selves when they compete.
Chipotle announces a new CEO. Dominos and Tinder and teaming up for Valentine's Day. The Director of National Intelligence sounds the alarm on Russia and the midterms elections. Sarah Kauss is the CEO of water bottle company S'well. Her small idea has turned into one of the most successful female-run businesses. Legal technology platform CannaRegs is on a mission to make sense of the legal landscape of marijuana for stakeholders in this growing space. Vermont Governor Phil Scott is asking legislators in his state to speed up equal pay legislation.
After a snowmobile accident during a professional competition in 2008 resulted in the amputation of his leg, Mike Schultz knew there was only one thing to do: find a way to continue competing in the sport that he loves. Ten years later, Mike is now a first-time Team USA and Paralympic Snowboarder. Schultz joined us to share more about his story and what motivates him to get up and get started each day.
This Changes Things: Advice for the executives and leaders of tomorrow, brought to you by American Express OPEN. On Between Bells: Adam Rippon & The Official Johnny G. Weir win the Olympics. With SB Nation, UNO, PCMag, and more.
This is a big year for the Olympics, and in particular, for the LGBT community. The U.S. has its first two openly gay male athletes competing in the Winter Olympics.
The 2018 Winter Olympics are making history for a number of reasons, but one of the biggest stories out of Pyeongchang is the records that openly gay athletes are breaking almost every day. Figure skater Adam Rippon and freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy are the first openly gay men to compete for the U.S. in the Winter Olympics, and they are doing it in style.
Adam Rippon and Gus Kenworthy are the first openly gay men to compete for the U.S. at the Winter Olympics. But they're doing more than bringing home medals -- they might be changing the way America perceives the LGBT community.
On Between Bells: Infrastructure, budget, and John Kelly's future. Plus, major Olympic moments and the first Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue of the #MeToo era. With The Young Turks, Rare Media, The Daily Caller, Royal Canin, and more.
First-time Team USA and Paralympic snowboarder Mike Schultz started out as a motorcross and snowmobile racer. But through developing his own prosthetic, he got into a new sport and was able to launch a new career.
One of the biggest global consumers goods companies, Unilever, is threatening to stop advertising on digital platforms like Facebook and Google if the companies don't clean up their acts. Snap's Vice President of sales has left the company. A new report finds Facebook is losing a younger audience. Dow closed up 400 points after the most volatile week in two years.
