Dominic Thiem has officially hung up his racket, concluding his remarkable tennis career after his last match at the Vienna Open, his home tournament. The 2020 US Open champion faced a tough exit, falling 7-6(6), 6-2 to world No. 42 Luciano Darderi in the first round.
Having not competed since his early exit at the US Open against Ben Shelton in August, the former world No. 3 took the opportunity to reflect on his journey. “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,” he expressed emotionally. “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.”
In his heartfelt on-court speech, Thiem continued, “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 weren’t even coming to the net. So it was the right decision.”
After the match, he took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his gratitude: “What a night! I would like to sincerely thank everyone who joined me for my farewell last night! It means the world to me that you all came to share this special moment with me.”
Thiem’s retirement has sparked an outpouring of support from fellow players, including legends like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Federer, who faced Thiem seven times, posted on Instagram, “An illustrious career comes to a close. Congratulations, Domi. No matter the surface, you always found a way to beat me with your thunderous backhands. But more importantly, you did it with grace and sportsmanship.”
Nadal, who has a 10-6 record against Thiem, also expressed his appreciation in German on his Instagram story, simply stating, “Danke Domi.”
Alexander Zverev, a close friend and competitor, shared a heartfelt tribute on Instagram, saying, “Everyone’s tennis career will unfortunately come to an end sooner or later. But the people you meet and the friendships you build will hopefully last a lifetime. Thank you, @domithiem, for the toughest battles I have ever had on court. Thank you for the most unforgettable moments we were able to share outside the court. This isn’t a goodbye. This is a see you soon, my friend.”
Stefanos Tsitsipas added his thoughts on X, expressing, “I’m sad to see you retire this soon, but I’m going to cherish our battles and our fun times on and off the court. Playing an exhibition match with you in Austria in 2018 remains a fond memory. Thank you for holding the one-handed backhand flag so high.”