"My little brother used his racket, not mine" - Carlos Alcaraz makes emotional remark about brother Jaime as Dominic Thiem retires
Carlos Alcaraz and his younger brother Jaime paid an emotional tribute to Dominic Thiem as the Austrian retired from tennis following his 2024 Erste Bank Open exit in Vienna. Alcaraz shed light on how Jaime idolized Thiem over the years and tried to emulate the former US Open champion.
Thiem drew the curtain on his illustrious career after being beaten by Italy’s Luciano Darderi 7-6(6), 6-2 in the first round of the ATP 500 in Vienna on Tuesday, October 22. He received a standing ovation as he waved goodbye to his home crowd following the defeat.
The former World No. 3 was flooded with messages from the tennis fraternity, with the likes of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal acknowledging his achievements. Carlos Alcaraz too shared his feelings about Thiem’s retirement in a video tribute.
The Spaniard revealed how his 13-year-old brother Jaime, a budding tennis player, admired Thiem and tried to copy the Austrian by using his Babolat racket.
"My little brother plays tennis. He is a huge fan of Dominic Thiem. He used to play with his racket, not mine," Alcaraz said in the video for TennisTV.
Carlos Alcaraz also noted that Jaime frequently vocalized his desire to follow in Dominic Thiem’s footsteps.
"He was always watching Dominic. I hear a lot of things from my little brother, ‘I want to play like Dominic Thiem. I want to play like him with the same racket; same style,’" the 21-year-old said.
"In my family, we have really high admiration for Dominic," he added.
Following Thiem’s retirement, Jaime celebrated his idol’s career on social media. He also frequently showcased his unceasing support during the Austrian’s recent on-court struggles.
Dominic Thiem previously acknowledged Carlos Alcaraz's brother Jaime's racket choice
Carlos Alcaraz’s brother Jaime’s choice of playing with Dominic Thiem’s Babolat Pure Strike racket instead of Alcaraz’s Babolat Pure Aero did not go unnoticed.
In 2023, when a video of the teenager’s practice sessions made the rounds on social media, Thiem reacted to it by praising his equipment preference.
"He’s playing the right racket @carlitosalcarazz," Thiem wrote in the comments under the Instagram video.
Alcaraz responded by emphasizing his brother’s love for the Austrian.
"@domithiem he loves you!! You are his idol," Alcaraz said.
Thiem, who was unable to bounce back after the two wrist injuries he suffered in 2021, retired aged 31 with 17 career titles to his name—the 2020 US Open being the final champion’s trophy of his career.