Dominic Thiem will no longer be seen on the courts: the former world No. 3, winner of the US Open in 2020, was eliminated on Tuesday evening in the first round of the ATP 500 tournament in Vienna in front of an excited crowd.
Facing the Italian Luciano Darderi, the 31-year-old Austrian hung on in the first set, lost in the tiebreak, before faltering in the second, losing 7-6 (8/6), 6-1 in 1 hour 32 minutes.
Having fallen to 318th in the world rankings, Thiem had received an invitation to participate in the tournament and was unable to keep up the pace against his 22-year-old opponent, ranked 42nd .
Cheered on by nearly 10,000 spectators, he thanked his fans “for their support” over the “sensational” years. “This journey 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 has also played two finals of the Masters in London, a competition that brings together the eight best players of the season.
He had to step away from the courts in mid-2021 due to a torn ligament in his right wrist and has since never managed to regain his best level, sinking to the depths of the rankings.
He finished with a record of 348 wins and 215 losses, for earnings of 30 million US dollars.
Thiem was given a farewell ceremony last weekend at the same venue.
Tennis stars such as Zverev and Boris Becker made the trip. Others such as 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 said 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 gilded Viennese coffeehouses,” the ATP said in a statement.
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