After a multi-year battle with injuries, Austrian Dominic Thiem will finally hang up his tennis racket after this year’s Vienna Open in his home country at the end of the month. Thiem is a four-time Grand Slam finalist and won his only major title at the 2020 US Open. Additionally, the Vienna native reached a career high of No. 3 in the world rankings and is one of the few men to have defeated all members of the legendary “Big Three” – Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
Federer, Nadal, Djokovic send warm messages before Thiem’s resignation
After his victory at the US Open 2020, Thiem had problems with his wrist. The injury put him out of action for almost a year and the Austrian was never able to regain his form during his numerous comeback attempts.
In May 2024, Thiem announced that he would withdraw from that year’s Vienna Open. The tournament begins on October 21st, so it was no surprise that Thiem was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Lotteries Sporthilife Gala 2024 on Thursday evening. But each member of the Big Three made the event even more special by sending emotional messages as the Austrian prepares to say goodbye to the sport they all love.
“Tennis will miss you very, very much,” said Federer. Nadal added: “You know how much I admire you,” and Djokovic said: “Thank you for everything you have given to all of us.”
Dominic Thiem was honored at a gala for Austrian athletes before playing the last tournament of his career in Vienna. 🙏🇦🇹 Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer left a message for their former rival. 🥹 🎥 @ORF
