We will no longer see Dominic Thiem on the courts: the former world No.3, winner of the US Open in 2020, was eliminated Tuesday evening in the first round of the ATP 500 tournament in Vienna in front of an excited audience. Opposed to the Italian Luciano Darderi, the 31-year-old Austrian held on in the first set, losing in the tie-break, before weakening in the second, losing 7-6 (8/6), 6- 1 in 1h32.
More than $30 million in career earnings
Having fallen to 318th in the world, Thiem had received an invitation to participate in the tournament and was unable to keep up with his 22-year-old opponent, ranked 42nd. Acclaimed by nearly 10,000 spectators, he thanked his fans “for their support” over “sensational” years. “This trip has been an absolute dream,” he said before signing autographs.
During his career, Thiem has won 17 tournaments including the US Open in 2020 against German Alexander Zverev, his only Grand Slam title. In addition to two finals at Roland Garros and one at the Australian Open, he also played in two finals of the Masters in London, a competition which brings together the eight best players of the season.
He had to leave the courts in mid-2021 due to torn ligaments in his right wrist and has since never managed to find his best level, sinking to the depths of the rankings. He finished with a record of 348 victories and 215 defeats, for earnings of 30 million dollars.
Nadal, Federer and Djokovic sent him messages
Thiem was entitled to a farewell ceremony last weekend, at the same venue. Tennis stars like Zverev and Boris Becker made the trip. Others like Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer sent him video messages, praising his fair play and his “incredible career”. “It hurts terribly to reach the end of the road,” he confided at the time.
“Thiem's one-handed backhand, an elegant shot that is unfortunately becoming a relic of the past, was as baroque as the most golden Viennese cafes,” praised the ATP in a statement.
