Thiem went into the clay season .
Thiem played his first tournament in Monte Carlo , defeating Andrey Rublev and Novak Djokovic , before losing to Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals .
Going into the clay season , Thiem played his first tournament in Monte Carlo , defeating Andrey Rublev and Novak Djokovic , before losing to Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals .