Roger Federer led the emotional tributes to Dominic Thiem as he prepares to retire on home turf later this month. The Austrian will put down his racket after the Vienna Open, five months after announcing that this season will be his last as a professional.
Thiem reached three Grand Slam finals before finally going all the way at the US Open in 2020. He reached a career-high ranking of third that year, putting himself amongst the ‘Big Three’ when they were still dominating the sport.
Less than a year after his triumph at Flushing Meadows, Thiem ran into problems with his wrist and did not compete on the ATP Tour for 10 months, which saw him fall out of the world’s top 350.
The 31-year-old made a comeback last year but he was unable to rediscover the form which made him a force in Grand Slam tournaments. And he announced, back in May, that he hoped to end his career in his homeland.
The main draw of the Vienna Open gets underway on October 21. With Thiem preparing to bid farewell, he was given the Lotterien Sporthilife-Gala 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award and Federer, along with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, sent in heartfelt messages to mark the occasion.
“Tennis will miss you very, very much,” stated Federer. Nadal added: “You know how much I admire you,” and Djokovic said: “Thank you for everything you gave us all.”
Despite injury playing a major part in Thiem’s retirement, the major champion claims that he is not bitter about the way things have panned out, and he looks forward to leading a normal life away from tennis’ demanding schedule.
“Tennis is one of the loneliest sports there is,” he said. “The last few months have been a rollercoaster ride. But I won’t really be able to move on until a foggy day in November. Maybe I’ll play an exhibition or two. For me, it’s a huge goal to increase the chances of young players taking the same path as me. My path was sensational – both in sporting terms and personally.”
He continued: “I always loved playing on tour, and I was very patient about it, but I also always really enjoyed to be home and to have, as much as it was possible, kind of a normal life at home.
“And that’s why I always, I really look forward to this one now, that the normal life is now coming. That’s why I think it’s not that difficult for me, and that’s why I’m really also happy with my decision.”
