Roger Federer paid a touching tribute to Dominic Thiem after the 31-year-old ended his career at the Vienna Open.
Thiem announced his plans to retire earlier this year and his time as a professional tennis player officially came to an end after he suffered a straight-set defeat in the first round of his home tournament.
The former world No. 3’s old rivals have since taken to social media to honour his career. And Federer had a heartfelt message for the man who beat him five times.
Thiem officially entered retirement with a 7-6(6) 6-2 defeat to Luciano Darderi on Tuesday night in front of a packed Wiener Stadthalle crowd. The 2020 US Open champion addressed the crowd in a brief ceremony after his last match.
The Austrian had a bigger farewell celebration on Sunday, with some of his old rivals like Alexander Zverev and Frances Tiafoe turning up to wave him off.
The Big Three were noticeably absent but Federer made sure to pay tribute to Thiem after his last match.
The 43-year-old shared a photo of the moment Thiem beat him in the 2019 Indian Wells final to his Instagram story and wrote: “An illustrious career comes to a close. Congratulations Domi.”
Federer had a 2-5 head-to-head against Thiem, with most of the Austrian’s wins coming at some of the biggest tournaments – Masters 1000s and the ATP Finals. And he poked fun at his losing record.
He added: “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.”
The 20-time Grand Slam champion wasn’t the only one who honoured Thiem’s career. Nadal reposted an ATP video of tributes to the 31-year-old, writing: “Danke Domi.”
Stefanos Tsitsipas also sent him a lengthy message on X (formerly known as Twitter). “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,” he said.
“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. Danke Domi.”
Thiem has been preparing for life after tennis since announcing his retirement plans earlier this year. The 17-time title winner will stay involved with his family’s tennis academy but doesn’t want to travel the tour as a coach.
He has also launched Thiem Energy – an eco-friendly energy company in Austria. After playing his final match in Vienna, the former US Open champion told the fans: “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.
“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.”
