Thiem receives special messages from Djokovic, Nadal, Federer ahead of farewell
Dominic Thiem has defeated Rafael Nadal six times and Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer five times each
(Gepa / Panoramic)
Injuries have forced Austrian Dominic Thiem to quit competitive tennis early as he prepares for his farewell at Erste Bank Open in Vienna. Ahead of the occasion, the Big Three, namely Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer have sent Thiem special messages.
Thiem, only 31 years old, took up tennis professionally in the year 2011. Since then, he has raked up 17 singles trophies, including the one he clinched at the US Open in 2020 by staging an impressive comeback against Germany’s Alexander Zverev in the final.
Before the New York glory, he lost three title clashes at the Majors to Djokovic (Australian Open – 2020) and Nadal (French Open – 2018, 2019).
However, the Austrian wasn’t always on the wrong side of the outcomes against the Big Three, defeating the Serb five times in 12 clashes, the Spaniard six times in 16, and the Swiss five times in seven.
Thus, the three legends joined the party when Lotterien Sporthlife Gala celebrated Thiem’s career in Vienna, Austria, sharing their warm wishes through video messages that flashed on big screens after the 2020 US Open champion was conferred a lifetime achievement award.
“Hey Domi! I just wanted to congratulate you for this lifetime achievement award, very well deserved,” Nadal, the 22-time Grand Slam champion, began. “Very happy for you, you know how much I admire you, respect you, so I wish you all the very best, enjoy tonight.”
“Thank you very much for all that you have given to all of us, particularly tennis. I’m glad that you will have an opportunity to say goodbye in Vienna, one last dance,” praised, Djokovic, the 24-time major winner. “I wish you a great tournament with all the family members present and are celebrated because you deserve it, my friend. All the best!”
“Dear Dominic, congratulations on the award and your life’s work. I enjoyed playing against you so much. Tennis will miss you very, very much,” added 20-time Major champion Federer. “You were a great guy, on and off the court. Always fair. Your friendship was always important to me on the tour.
“As rivals, the fact that we got along so well was always great for me. Anyway, I wish you all the best for the future and congratulate you on your incredible, fantastic career Dominic! I’m sure we’ll see each other again soon.”
Thiem ended his Grand Slam journey at US Open 2024
Dominic Thiem has already played his career’s final Grand Slam match. This happened in the US Open 2024, where he faced power-hitting Ben Shelton in the first round, losing 6-4, 6-2, 6-2. He notably made his maiden main-draw appearance at Majors in 2014 at the Australian Open.
Thiem defeated Portugal’s Joao Sousa (5-7, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (3)) in the first round in Melbourne before losing to South African Kevin Anderson (6-4, 6-3, 6-4) in the second.
The 31-year-old reached the top echelons of the ATP singles rankings in March 2020 by becoming the world No 3. However, his form has sunk ever since he suffered a wrist injury in 2021, leading him to retire from tennis.
The Erste Bank Open, Thiem’s farewell tournament, will begin on October 21 at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria.
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