Dominic Thiem Retires After First-Round Defeat in Vienna

Dominic Thiem, the 2020 US Open champion, has officially retired from professional tennis following a first-round loss to Italy's Luciano Darderi at the Vienna Open. Thiem, 31, announced last week that he would retire after playing in his home tournament in Austria.

In the match, Thiem, a former world number three and the 2019 Vienna Open champion, was defeated 7-6 (8-6), 6-2 by the world number 42. Speaking after the match, Thiem said, "It hurts. But at the same time I was playing some forehands, especially in the second set, and they were not even coming to the net. So it was the right decision."

Following the loss, the Vienna crowd paid tribute to the Austrian player by holding up cards with the national flag and the message "Danke Dominic" ("Thank you Dominic"). Thiem addressed the crowd, saying, "I've had so many nice goodbyes in the last few months, but today I want to say thank you for all the sensational years."

Thiem, who placed his racquet in a glass case to be auctioned for charity, reflected on his career, adding, "I am only a part of this career. The whole journey has been an absolute dream. I couldn't have imagined it any better."

A special ceremony was held in Vienna on Sunday, where Thiem played an exhibition set against Alexander Zverev, the player he defeated to win the 2020 US Open title. Over his career, Thiem claimed 17 ATP Tour titles, including reaching the finals of the French Open in 2018 and 2019, and the Australian Open in 2020. He also secured victories against tennis legends Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic.

However, his career was interrupted by a wrist injury less than a year after his US Open win, which sidelined him for 10 months and caused his ranking to drop outside the top 350. Thiem made a return to the top 100 last year but struggled to regain his top form. In May, he confirmed that 2024 would be his final season.

Roger Federer paid tribute to Thiem on Instagram, writing, "An illustrious career comes to an end. Congratulations, Domi. No matter the surface, you always found a way to beat me with your thunderous backhands. But more importantly, you did it with grace and sportsmanship."