Last October,former world no. 3 Dominic Thiem ended his career at the home ATP 500 event in Vienna. In the first round, Dominic played his 563rd and last ATP match against Luciano Darderi. He experienced a 7-6, 6-2 loss and faded from the tennis scene.
The former Major champion admitted in his recent interview that he was forced to quit tennis after dealing with setbacks for a couple of years. Now, stayingat home and enjoying timewith his family and friends, Dominic does not misstennis that much!
In January, his brother traveled to Melbourne with some juniors, and Dominic was happy to stayhome and enjoy the proper Austrian winter with snow and everything.
The Austrian reached 29 ATP finals and claimed 17 trophies, including the 2020 US Open. Dominic knew how to challenge the rivals from the top. He collected at least five wins against Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, sharing that notable feat with Andy Murray.
The Austrian notched five consecutive year-end top-10 runs between 2016 and 2020, battling at the ATP Finals and losing the title matches in 2019 and 2020. Thiem lost the ground a bit in the first part of 2021, and things would become much more serious for him in Mallorca!
Dominic chased a ball against Adrian Mannarino and injured his right wrist, which marked the beginning of his career! The Austrian missed the next nine months, dropping out from the top-70 and never returning to that group.
Thiem started from the beginning and finished the season with 18 wins on the ATP Tour and the Challenger final. The Austrian embraced the full calendar in 2023, giving everything to compete injury-free and regain his old level.
He earned 19 ATP wins and reached his last ATP final in Kitzbuhel. The Austrianfinished in the top-100, but it was not enough to keep him motivated following constant injury setbacks. Last April, Dominic embraced his last ATP win in a career in Estoril.
However, he failed to qualify in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Roland Garros, struggling on his favorite surface and announcing his retirement. Thiem ended his career in Vienna in October, with numerous legends sending him farewell messages.
"I had a great time during my final tournament in Vienna. However, I was glad when everything was over. I never wanted to quit, but I do not miss tennis much. I'm happy to spend time at home and enjoy a winter in the cold. I had ups and downs.
There were times when things were getting better. I managed to grab some notable wins, but everything would go wrong again. In the final phase of my career, I missed the feeling of hitting the ball in the right spot.
It could have been mechanical, mental or related to a nerve in my wrist. I could have had surgery, but it would have been quite invasive. In the end, I believe I made the right decision," Dominic Thiem said.
