Dominic Thiem: “Many people have to deal with depression their whole life”

Before Dominic Thiem retires next week in Vienna, the 2020 US Open champion spoke about his career ending injury and depression

Chryslene Caillaud/Panoramic

Jannik Schneider

October 18, 2024

“No, no, it is fine. We can talk about it,” Dominic Thiem replied during a one-on-one interview with Tennis Majors on Thursday, on the eve of the UTS Event in Frankfurt. The issue of mental health and depression has accompanied the 31-year-old for around four years since his US Open win in 2020, just as intensively as his wrist injury, which has now led to the early end of his career.

“The topic of mental health has been with me the whole time anyway. Depression accompanies many, many people throughout their lives. Over time, I have done more and more things to become more balanced and counteract the issue,” Thiem said. “But I also believe that the whole tour life with all the ups and downs, the adrenaline, the emptiness, with all the travelling and the jetlag is not really helping to a balanced lifestyle.”

Thiem found help in meditation

Thiem said he found different things that helped him for his mental health. “Over the last four years, I spent a lot of time on the topic of mental health to see what helps me. For example, meditation, and I’ve read a lot in general. I’ve learned to spend more time away from the spotlight – more than before – when it gets too much. That helps, because you get a certain feeling when there is a risk for me. Since I’ve been doing more for myself, things have got a lot better.”

In the end his wrist injury ended his career. At least Thiem is not in physical pain at the moment. “No, I don’t play in pain. I’ve only had pain in my wrist when I’ve been practising a lot again. But the last sensitivity in my wrist has never really returned since I injured it the second time. I could always do a bit more with my wrist for my forehand. I have the feeling that I haven’t been able to do that since then.”

Thiem, who opened the UTS event in Frankfurt against Thanasis Kokkinakis on Friday and lost 3-0, is trying to enjoy the last days of his tennis career. “Sometimes the attention is really a lot, but sometimes I can also enjoy it. Especially here at UTS, I can enjoy it because the attention is spread over eight players. In Vienna it gets really busy again, but I try to enjoy it.”