Former world no. 3 Dominic Thiem ended his career in front of the home fans at the ATP 500 event in Vienna. Dominic faced Luciano Darderi in the first round and suffered a 7-6, 6-2 loss in an hour and 39 minutes. It was Thiem's 563rd and last match in a career, deciding to terminate his incredible career after failing to regain his former level. Dominic debuted in Vienna in 2010 in the qualifying draw, competing in front of the partisan crowd year after year and lifting the trophy in 2019. The organizers embraced a farewell ceremony after the match, honoring Austria's most successful player after Thomas Muster.
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Dominic's career through results
Thiem lifted 17 ATP titles from 29 finals. His brightest moment came at the US Open four years ago, besting his great friend Alexander Zverev in a thriller and becoming the first player born in the 1990s with a Major title. Dominic earned 32 top-10 triumphs and shined against Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. The hero of this story stood 9-3 versus the Big 3 in 2019 and 2020, beating all of them at least five times as the second player after Andy Murray! The Austrian embraced five consecutive year-end top-10 seasons between 2016 and 2020, competing at the ATP Finals in those years and losing title matches in 2019 and 2020. Thiem claimed the 2019 Indian Wells title over Roger Federer and accumulated four Major finals, two at Roland Garros.
Thiem meets his destiny in Mallorca
Dominic did not play well in the first half of 2021, missing two months but remaining in the top-5. He injured his right wrist while chasing a ball against Adrian Mannarino in Mallorca in June, retiring and plaguing his career! Thiem stayed away from the court until March 2022, leaving the top-70 a few weeks later and never returning to that group. The Austrian needed time to find the form, embracing a couple of solid tournaments and finishing the season in the top-120 after 18 ATP wins and the Challenger final. Dominic embraced a full 2023 season, entering over 20 tournaments and collecting 19 ATP wins following his last ATP final at home in Kitzbuhel. It was enough for the year-end top-100 finish, but the former Major winner did not want to extend his career and stress his troubled wrist without higher-profile results.
2024 run and the end of the road
Thiem scored two wins this season, with the last of his career coming in Estoril in April. Dominic qualified for the main draw in Brisbane and faced his old rival, Rafael Nadal in the first round. The veteran earned a 7-5, 6-1 victory in their 16th meeting, delivering a late break in the opener and toppling the Austrian in set number two. Dominic struggled on the return and suffered three breaks to propel Rafa through. Competing at the Australian Open for the last time, the former world no. 3 suffered a heartbreaking 6-3, 7-5, 6-7, 5-7, 6-3 defeat to Felix Auger-Aliassime in four hours and 59 minutes! Thiem fell two sets to love behind before digging deep in sets three and four, rolling back the years and forcing a decider. However, Felix grabbed an early break and brought the victory home, ending Dominic's campaign.
The former Roland Garros finalist returned to his beloved clay in March, but the results were not there. Thiem did not qualify in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Roland Garros, failing to improve his ranking position and competing for the last time at the favorite events in Kitzbuhel and Vienna before ending his career at 31.
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Last match in a career
Dominic embraced his last dance on Tuesday in Vienna, falling to Luciano Darderi after a decent effort. The home favorite led 4-2 in the opening set and had a set point in the tie break. The Italian denied it and prevailed after an hour. With not much left in the tank, Thiem experienced two breaks in the second set without pressuring his opponent on the return, ending his career and hanging up his racquet in a special glass display. The home favorite fired 11 aces, although it did not bring him much.
He suffered three breaks from five chances offered to his rival and grabbed one return game that sent him in front early in the opener. Dominic made a flawless start, serving well and firing bullets from his backhand for a 4-2 advantage after a break in game five. Darderi pulled the break back in game eight, and they both served well ahead of the tie break. The former world no. 3 landed a volley winner for a set point at 6-5 but squandered it before spraying a backhand error at 6-7 to hand the opener to his rival. Luciano gained a boost and dominated set number two, serving well and breaking Dominic in games one and five to send the former Major winner into retirement.
