A Grand Slam winner from the era dominated by the Big Three has stunned the tennis community with news that he plans to hang up his racquet at the age of 30.
The tennis community is reeling from news that 2020 US Open champion Dominic Thiem plans to retire at the end of the season at the young age of 30.
Thiem, who was a finalist at the French Open twice and at the 2020 Australian Open, achieved his Grand Slam breakthrough at the US Open. However, his victory was somewhat overshadowed by the fact that it occurred during the Covid restrictions, in an empty stadium.
Despite these challenges, the Austrian notably stood out by challenging the dominance of the Big Three – securing five victories out of seven against Roger Federer, six out of sixteen against Rafael Nadal, and five out of twelve against Novak Djokovic.
However, Thiem faced tough losses against Nadal in the 2018 and 2019 French Open finals and lost a five-set battle to Djokovic at the 2020 Australian Open after leading two sets to one.
Thiem reached his career peak as World No. 3 in 2020. Unfortunately, his career was hampered by injuries beginning in 2021, starting with a knee injury followed by a wrist injury that ended his season and kept him out for nine months.
Since his return, Thiem has struggled to regain his former level, with his ranking dropping to No. 72 in 2023. Currently, he is ranked No. 117 in the world according to the ATP rankings, placing him outside the top 100 who automatically qualify for the French Open.
Despite efforts to return to form, Thiem’s wrist has not fully recovered, leading to reports that he is contemplating retirement. According to the Austrian publication Salzburger Nachrichten, he is considering ending his career at the Vienna Open in October, in his home country.
This development has prompted a quick response from the tennis world.
“Dominic Thiem will reportedly retire at the end of the season at home in Austria. You have to feel for him. He’s had a terrible time with injuries & just hasn’t been able to rediscover the magic, but he certainly tried. Hoping his last year will give him some unforgettable moments. He deserves it,” The Tennis Letter wrote.
“Very sad if true but not surprising,” tennis reporter Jose Morgado said, adding that he’d heard Thiem had “already started to tell his sponsors”.
“Many will say that Dominic Thiem only won one major title. I’ll forever say that Dominic Thiem won a major title,” tennis blogger Scott Barclay said.
