"Tennis is one of the loneliest sports" - Dominic Thiem looks back at his 15-year long career as he prepares for retirement at Vienna Open

Dominic Thiem is playing in his final season. (Source: Getty)
Dominic Thiem is playing in his final season. (Source: Getty)

Dominic Thiem is preparing to ride into the sunset at his home tournament, the Vienna Open later this month. The former US Open champion had earlier in the year announced his decision to retire after battling a series of injuries.

The Austrian has played on the Tour for more than a decade, experiencing several ups and downs. He is among the handful of players to capture a Grand Slam title (the 2020 US Open) in an era dominated by the ‘Big 3’ (Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic).

Thiem, however, has not been able to perform at a high level consistently given the multiple injuries that have plagued him over the last few years.

Speaking to Heute, the former Slam winner said he was ready for a change of pace. Describing tennis as “one of the loneliest sports,” Theim said he is ready to spend more time at home and give back to his country.

"I've traveled enough. But I believe that I can help from Austria," Dominic Thiem said. "Tennis is one of the loneliest sports there is."

Thiem also reflected on his recent struggles, saying it has been a “rollercoaster ride.” He, however, was quick to add that moving on from tennis will take some getting used to.

"The last few months have been a rollercoaster ride," Dominic Thiem said. "But I won't really be able to move on until a foggy day in November."

"It's a huge goal to increase the chances of young players taking the same path as me" - Dominic Thiem

Thiem is one of the most successful Austrian tennis players of all time. (Source: Getty)
Thiem is one of the most successful Austrian tennis players of all time. (Source: Getty)

Dominic Thiem will play his final tournament at the Vienna Open, a venue where he watched his first tennis match at the age of four.

Ahead of the event, the Austrian addressed how life post-retirement will look for him, saying he will be associated with tennis in some capacity or the other. He did not rule out the possibility of playing an exhibition match every now or then or even mentoring the next crop of players back home.

"Maybe I'll play an exhibition or two," Dominic Thiem said. "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."

Thiem last played at the 2024 US Open, where he ran into 13th seed Ben Shelton in the opening round itself, He went down 6-4, 6-2, 6-2.

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Edited by Tushar Bahl
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