Watch: Thiem Shares Secret To Beating Nadal

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Watch: Thiem Shares Secret To Beating Nadal

Dominic Thiem is a member of an elite group.

Thiem is one of the few men in the world with a one-handed backhand to beat both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer on red clay—and remains the last man to defeat the world No. 1 on clay. Thiem swept Nadal, 6-4, 6-3, in the Rome quarterfinals last May.

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The seventh-ranked Thiem has also absorbed severe thrashings from Nadal on dirt.

The 10-time Roland Garros champion crushed Thiem, 6-0, 6-2, in the Monte-Carlo quarterfinals last month and permitted just seven games to the Austrian in the French Open semifinals last year.

Thiem says the secret to defeating the King of Clay on dirt is simple: Red-line your game or get run over.

"The first moment on he doesn't give you any air to breath," Thiem told the media in Madrid. "So basically, if you want to beat him or if you want to compete well with him you have to do the same.

"You have to be on fire from the first moment on or if you don't do that it happens what happened to me in Monte-Carlo—he just kills you."

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