Dominic Thiem is one of the younger players on the ATP World Tour, but he is quickly becoming one of the most damaging.

Title in Buenos Aires

Last week he claimed his fourth career title in Buenos Aires, defeating "King of Clay" Rafael Nadal 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 before defeating Nicolas Almagro 7-6, 3-6, 7-6 in the final.

2016 so far

So far in 2016 he has continued his excellent form that saw his propel from 39th in the world at the end of 2014 to a current ranking of 19. The young Austrian won three titles last year and looks set to improve on that this year.

He has already made the semifinals in Brisbane and the third round at the Australian Open before his victory last week, which is prompting tennis fans to expect big things from Thiem in the near future.

His deepest run at a Grand Slam so far is the fourth round at the U.S. Open back in 2014, establishing his form on fast-paced hard courts. However, Thiem has won his four titles on clay, prompting many to believe that his major breakthrough could come at Roland Garros as soon as this year.

Prospects for Future

Since his first tour level win against former world number one Thomas Muster in Vienna back in 2011, the tennis world has followed his career with great interest. Thiem has now established himself as a player with a steady mind and a solid all court game.

Thiem has already begun this week in strong fashion, reaching the quarterfinals in Rio De Janeiro. His win over Nadal and overall title in Argentina last week could be a catalyst for the young Austrian to take the next step towards the top ten and possibly winning a Grand Slam in the future.

Will Thiem live up to the expectations that have been placed around him? At the present it seems like he will.

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About the author
Val Febbo
Journalism at La Trobe University, have a tennis podcast named 'Break Point Podcast' (@BreakPointPod on Twitter). I also love AFL (Richmond Tigers), cricket and Formula 1.