Dominic Thiem played the last official match of his career against Luciano Darderi in Vienna. The Austrian player was defeated and said goodbye to professional tennis, although there is a bit of bitterness about how his journey on the ATP tour ended. When he won the 2020 US Open defeating German Alexander Zverev in one of the strangest finals of the modern era, no one could have imagined that the former number 3 of the world would never return to those levels again.
Dominic suffered a sharp drop in motivation after that triumph in New York, pursued for a long time and often missed also because of the presence of the Big 3. Thiem won 46% of the matches played against Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, Proving that he was a true champion and had the right weapons to win other prestigious titles after the withdrawal of the latter.
Luciano Darderi & Dominic Thiem, Vienna 2024© Stream screenshot
A depressive crisis – followed by a serious wrist injury in 2021 – has substantially precipitated its decline. The Austrian has tried his best to return to the top level, even if he had to play in the Challlenger tournaments, but he never returned. With great courage and intellectual honesty, the 2020 US Open champion did not want to accept a second-tier role and decided to retire in front of his fans.
Thiem’s career – which can be divided into two parts – has been exceptional despite the regrets of recent years. The Austrian ace also played a performance match with Sascha Zverev before the start of the tournament in Vienna and received a beautiful tribute from the tournament organizers after his match against Darderi.
Berrettini on Thiem’s decision
Speaking with Tennis.com in Vienna, Italian ace Matteo Berrettini reflected on Thiem’s decision to retire: “Obviously tennis, it’s not just hitting a tennis ball. There are so many things that you have to take care of. We all know that he was struggling with his wrist, and he was a physical player. So once you lose a little bit of confidence in your body, then it’s tough to get going. Plus your motivation, the stuff that you’re doing and everything that is happening around your life.” He also added: ”I respect a lot about his decision because he felt like he’s not in the place that he wanted to be. He steps away with my respect, and I think, the respect from the rest of the players.”
Dominic Thiem, Vienna 2024© Stream screenshot
It would have been interesting to see how much Dominic would win after the end of the Big 3 era. Federer retired in 2022, while Nadal will leave professional tennis next month. Djokovic is still active in the professional tour, but his level is much lower than his best years. Despite the displeasure, Thiem is convinced that he has made the right decision and that it would not have made sense to squeeze his already worn out body further.
“I’ve had so many nice goodbyes in the last few months, but today I want to say thank you for all the sensational years” – ‘Domi’ said after his match against Darderi in Vienna. “I am only a part of this career. The whole journey has been an absolute dream and I want this afternoon, this evening to be yours. I couldn’t have imagined it any better. Thank you.
Those emotions, those feelings. Being in the flow, like I was in the first set. These are the things that will never come back. It hurts. But at the same time I was playing some forehands, especially in the second set, and they were not even coming to the net. So it was the right decision” – he added.
A future as a coach?
The Austrian also discussed his future: “I don’t know what will happen in the future but for now, no, I don’t plan to come back to coaching on the tour, because I’m a little tired of traveling. It’s true that my career and my experiences could be very useful to young players, especially between 15 and 20-21 years old, at the time of the transition between juniors and professionals. On that, I have a lot to share.”
Dominic Thiem, Vienna 2024© Stream screenshot
The wrist injury was decisive in a negative sense: “Afterwards, my wrist was never the same again. No longer the same strength, no longer the same stability, no longer the same sensations… It took me a while to accept the fact that I was chasing a version of myself that no longer existed. My career has nevertheless been incredible. I could perhaps have continued. But I have never particularly liked the life of a tennis player. Leading this life only makes sense to me if it is to be at the top.”