Former US Open champion Dominic Thiem says he will retire at the end of the season
The Austrian player, one of the best clay-court specialists in recent years, announced he will call it a day when the current campaign ends.
He’s only 30, with plenty left to offer, but he won’t be grabbing a racket and playing any more official games at the end of the current season. Former major champion Dominic Thiem announced he will retire from the sport once the 2023-2024 tennis calendar ends.
The Austrian player lived the best moment of his career in 2020 when he won his first and only Grand Slam event at the US Open. He defeated Alexander Zverev after coming from two sets down and winning the tiebreak in the fifth one.
Although his biggest win as a professional came on hard courts, Thiem was known for his great performances on clay. He got to the French Open final in 2018 and 2019, but Rafa Nadal prevented him from getting the glory in Paris.
However, that didn’t discourage the Wiener Neustadt native, who reached a career-high No. 3 spot in the ATP rankings and became a threat to anyone in all tournaments and surfaces.
Injuries, Thiem’s worst opponent
At the start of 2020, Thiem made everyone know he would be fighting for all the big trophies despite his unlucky record in major finals. He made it to the Australian Open final after defeating Nadal in the quarter-finals. However, he couldn’t get the job done in the last round of the event, as he lost to Novak Djokovic in a five-set thriller.
But Nadal and the Serb weren’t his toughest rivals. After finally achieving his goal of winning a Grand Slam tournament in New York, he started suffering several injuries that kept him away from the big scenarios and the fight for the titles. He had to deal with wrist and knee injuries ever since and in 2022, he fell out of the top 300 in the ATP.
Thiem reminded fans of his old version in some matches and moments over the last few months when it seemed he was finally healthy and fit to return to the elite. However, a wrist injury that has hampered him for a long time seems to have forced his retirement.
“It is a very important, very sad, very beautiful message that the 2024 season will be my last one,” Thiem said in a video on social media.
“There are some reasons behind it: firstly, of course, my wrist is not the way it should be. The second reason is my inner feelings: I have been thinking about this decision for a very long time. I was thinking very carefully about it and the whole journey as a tennis player, which was incredible”, he explained.
“I have had success and won trophies I never dreamt of. The journey was incredible, it was an incredible experience which I am so thankful for, but in the end, I came to the conclusion that this decision to end my career at the end of the season is the right one”, the Austrian player added.
Thiem, who has lifted has won 17 career titles, lost in qualifying in Monte Carlo and Madrid on clay this season, and in Munich was eliminated in the first round by Alejandro Moro Canas.