“I’m really happy with the career I’ve had” – no regrets for Thiem as he waves farewell to Grand Slam tennis
The Austrian played his final Grand Slam match against Ben Shelton on Arthur Ashe Stadium yesterday, losing to the American in straight sets
Dominic Thiem plays his final Grand Slam match against Ben Shelton at the 2024 US Open Antoine Couvercelle / Panoramic
Once hailed by many as the natural heir to Rafael Nadal‘s Roland-Garros throne, Dominic Thiem now brings his illustrious Grand Slam tennis career to an end without a French Open title to his name.
Nonetheless, what a superb career it has been. The Austrian says goodbye to the majors at the tournament where he reached the apex of his professional tennis life. He bowed out against rising young American talent Ben Shelton in straights sets on Arthur Ashe Stadium – the site of his US Open triumph in 2020, which will now remain the crowning jewel of Thiem’s many on-court achievements.
It goes alongside a further three appearances in Grand Slam finals, notably taking a set off Nadal in a high-quality Roland-Garros final in 2019, before pushing Novak Djokovic to five epic sets in the Melbourne showpiece the following January.
Thiem won a total of 17 ATP titles, including a defining victory over Roger Federer to clinch his sole Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells in 2019, while also boasting two runner-up finishes at the ATP Finals and five wins over 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic.
He was a constant thorn in the side of Nadal across each clay-court season, defeating the greatest clay-courter there has ever been a total of four times on that surface.
In short, Thiem was a supreme talent and a tennis heavy-weight. His name will stand alongside the likes of Stan Wawrinka, Juan-Martin Del Potro and Andy Murray as the only men who regularly threatened the stranglehold of the Big Three, frequently matching them for quality on the biggest of stages.
This is most probably why the former world No 3 looks back at his career with pride, and few regrets.
“I’m really happy with the career I had before (the wrist injury),” Thiem told a packed press conference, following his defeat to Shelton at the US Open.
“I never expected that it’s going be that successful, so I don’t have really any regrets, and I’m good with that.”
A tinge of sadness for an otherwise stellar career
A wise sentiment, and one very much deserved after a stellar career. Yet, there will always be a tinge of sadness at the fact that such a talent’s time on court was cut cruelly short by injury.
By the time Thiem comes to retire at the Vienna Open in his native Austria, he will be just 31 years old. While once an appropriate time to start thinking about hanging up the racquet, in today’s modern game, 31 is now barely past the peak of a player’s career.
There was a hint of this sadness in some of Thiem’s comments, despite a largely upbeat and optimistic press conference.
“I have the feeling that once I got back in a very good mental state, the injury happened. Then the feeling, especially on the forehand, never came back like it was before,” he continued.
“Of course, due to that, I was struggling also mentally a lot, because it was very difficult to accept.
“So those two things, mentally and physically, always come together. But yeah, I think the basic reason why I’m here now retiring pretty young is still the bad luck with the wrist injury.”
With Thiem still relatively young, and Nadal looking most likely to step away from the sport at the end of this season, there would have been ample opportunity to clinch the Roland-Garros title that many felt he was destined for, despite the presence of younger talents now sweeping many trophies.
But injury halted the once-named ‘Prince of Clay’ as he was at the peak of his powers, with strong parallels to Murray’s hip problems emerging just as he reached world No 1.
For Thiem, though, there is perhaps an added sense of regret that the greatest achievement of his career came behind closed doors, with the 2020 US Open played under heavy Covid-19 restrictions.
He was a thoroughly popular player who deserved to be enveloped in the rapturous delight of a finals-day crowd. Yet, despite being a Grand Slam champion, he was denied that most unique of moments.
a “happy” thiem at peace with his decision to start new chapter
It is worth acknowledging the sense of what could have been, but rarely worth dwelling on it. After all, Thiem is a happy, healthy young man who is now very much looking forward to the luxuries of life after tennis.
“I’m happy,” was his honest assertion.
“You know, it’s like I was struggling enough, like, the last years, especially since I was not able to come back to my level, but once I took the decision this year in March, from this moment on, I was happy about it.
“Obviously I was also able to kind of prepare already this new chapter what is coming soon. Honestly, like, I always, I mean, I loved playing on tour, and I was very patient about it, but honestly, I also always really enjoyed to be home and to have, as much as it was possible, kind of a normal life at home.
“And that’s why I always, I really look forward to this one now, that the normal life is now coming. That’s why I think it’s not that difficult for me, and that’s why I’m really also happy with my decision.”
It is good to hear Thiem sounding relaxed and serene about the end of his career. His decision to call it a day is, in itself, a proactive move to accept that he will never reach the level he was once at.
Aside from spending more time at home, the thoughtful Austrian is also passionate about environmental issues and looks forward to spending less time jetting around the globe and more time trying to offset these modes of living.
“I really want to go more into sustainability,” he reveals.
“I already have one energy community with solar energy. That’s one very important topic for me.”
The ‘Prince of Clay’ may never have been coronated to King status at his favoured Grand Slam, but the Austrian has left an indelible mark on the sport he now leaves behind.
He will be fondly remembered for a spectacular, and wonderfully aesthetic, one-handed backhand. The many epic battles against tennis’ all-time greats will also rest highly in the history books, as will Thiem’s only Grand Slam triumph in New York and his captivating clay-court prowess.
For now, though, it is time to move on. Thiem waves goodbye to Grand Slam tennis with a hint of sadness, but much more to feel positive about.
One final farewell awaits in his beloved hometown of Vienna in the autumn, before Thiem calls time on a unique, frustrating, yet ultimately quite excellent career.
