Dominic Thiem has dropped a retirement hint as 2020 US Open Champion announced that he has beginning to contemplate “whether the whole thing is still worth it”.
After concluding his first three major finals as runner-up, the Austrian finally sealed his maiden Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows in 2020 as he overcame the 0-2 in sets deficit to claim a marvelous 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7(8)-6(6) victory.
He backed the win by recording a runner-up finish at the year-end ATP Finals but because of injuries and poor form he experienced a sudden dip in his game in the start of 2021. Thiem decided to take a break from the game to regather the lost energies but the small break didn’t bear any fruit and his form continued to deteriorate as he ended the season with a very disappointing 9-9 record.
The 17-time ATP tour titlist couldn’t help much with shocking form and injury nightmare in 2022 as he exited the ATP top 300 ranks, though he concluded the season just outside top 100. It didn’t improve much last year as he hobbled around the top 100 mark with his best result coming at Austrian Open Kitzbühel as runner-up in August.
The 30-year-old kicked off the 2024 campaign with R1 defeat at the Brisbane International against Rafael Nadal, followed up by another one in Australian Open. He currently hovers at ATP #90 rank.
Talking to Der Standard, Thiem admitted he could call it a day at the end of 2024 season.
“I see this as my last chance. If I make it, it can happen quickly,” he said. “I’ve been back for two years now since the injury, and I finished 2022 on 100 or so and last year on 98. If I finish the year on 100 again, you have to think about whether it’s still worth it.”
The Austrian added: “I’ve been in rankings for two years now that I don’t want to be in. Of course that weighs on me … I’ve been chasing the feeling of really being able to play tennis in a match again for a long time. And the way I expect myself to.”
The former World No. 3 also confirmed that he has split ways with his coach Benjamin Ebrahimzadeh and is finalizing a replacement.
Thiem also dismissed the notion that he is only holding the racket to earn money with the lower ranks not allowing him to earn a lot of prize money.
“I never did it for the money either. I’m not a person who values money very much,” he said. “As honest as I am, I don’t really care about the whole topic,” told former World No. 3.