Former world No. 3, who will retire from active tennis at the Erste Bank Open (Vienna, Austria, indoor hard, ATP500), which is currently being held for men’s tennis.A special article about D. Thiem (Austria) was published on the official ATP website of the Men’s Professional Tennis Association on the 21st. It includes messages from top players such as Kei Nishikori, who is ranked 141st in the world, J. Sinner (Italy) who is ranked No. 1 in the world, and G. Dimitrov (Bulgaria) who is ranked No. 9 in the world.
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Thiem, 31, has 17 tour wins and won the 2020 US Open (USA/New York, Hard, Grand Slam) by defeating Germany’s Alan Zverev. His world ranking reached a high of 3rd place, and he continued to reign as a top player.
However, his career took a turn for the worse when he injured his right wrist and withdrew from the Mallorca Championships (Spain/Mallorca, Turf, ATP250) in June 2021. After completing the season while undergoing rehabilitation, he made a comeback the following year in 2022, but was unable to find any wins after that, and announced his retirement this year at the Erste Bank Open in his home country of Austria.
On the 21st, ATP posted evaluations and messages from top players towards Thiem.
M. Berrettini (Italy): “He was perfect. He had everything. Backhand, forehand, serve, he moved well and fought hard. The first time I played against him was in 2018. On the clay court, you could feel his strength from the third set. His intensity was really high and he was always fresh. That was his strength… He’s someone I’ve always really looked up to because the energy he brought to the court was special.
A. de Minaur (Australia): “He was outstanding physically. Normally guys with one-handed backhands have a hard time hitting a ball that heavy and heavy, but he didn’t have that problem. He worked hard for it. That intensity was always there, and he was always an incredible person and athlete. I will always respect him.”
G. Dimitrov: “For me, Domi was a special player. His grades, the way he played, and the fact that we had a one-handed backhand, it was a good challenge for me to improve my game. Especially on clay courts. So, we were able to push ourselves to play well. We played against each other many times. I wish him the best. He’s a very humble and kind person and we have great memories together. I was able to make it.”
T. Fritz (USA): “I think he was one of the first players to start challenging the big names. Novak (Djokovic), Rafa (Nadal), Federer and Andy (Murray) were unbeatable. He was an unbelievable ball hitter, always unbelievable on clay, but towards the end (before his injury) he was an unbelievable ball hitter on all surfaces. He started hitting the ball like no other. It was very exciting to see him do it as a young player.”
J. Sinner: “I’ve never played against Dominic in an official match, but he was great as a person and as a person. No matter what rank I was or how young I was, he always said hello to me. We talked. He always brought a super positive energy to the locker room and the cafeteria. All the players will miss him.”
Carlos Alcaraz (Spain): “I had a chance to watch him play well. I played several tournaments with him. When I participated in the ATP Tour for the first time in Rio de Janeiro in 2020, I had the opportunity to practice with him. It was really exciting. I saw him beat big players and win big tournaments. My younger brother played tennis and was very excited. I was a fan. He used to play with Thiem’s racket instead of mine (lol). So I always watched Dominic’s games, and my brother used to say to me, “I want to play like Dominic Thiem.” I want to play with the same racquet and same style.” In my family, Dominic is held in high esteem.”
Kei Nishikori: “I always enjoyed watching his tennis, especially his backhand and his mental toughness. He had very powerful groundstrokes, which I think you rarely see now. He had a beautiful backhand. It’s sad to lose him, but I hope he enjoys his last play at home in Vienna.”
In the first round of the Erste Bank Open, he will face L. Dardelli (Italy), who is ranked 42nd in the world. The winner of this match will face either Nishikori, ranked 141st, who is participating as a wild card (recommended by the organizer), or J.D. Draper (Great Britain), seeded 7th and ranked 18th.
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