Rafael Nadal, Boris Becker, Alexander Zverev, and others send heartfelt farewell messages to Dominic Thiem as Austrian retires with Vienna Open loss
Dominic Thiem's illustrious career ended in defeat in the first round of the ongoing Erste Bank Open in Vienna. The Austrian, who received a wildcard entry into his home tournament, lost 6-7(6), 2-6 to Luciano Darderi. Tributes for Thiem came pouring in, with the likes of Rafael Nadal, Boris Becker and Alexander Zverev leading the way.
The Austrian rose to prominence in men's tennis in the second half of the 2010s, and shot to global superstardom after he won the 2020 US Open. He also reached a career-high ranking of World No. 3 in his prime. Unfortunately, his stay at the elite level of men's tennis was short-lived.
A wrist injury Dominic Thiem sustained at the 2021 Mallorca Championships proved tellling for the Austrian. After a lengthy break from the sport, which saw his rankings plummet, he underwent surgery on his wrist and his aggressive game no longer remained what it once was post-surgery.
This year, he announced that he would be retiring at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna in front of his home crowd. Following his loss to Darderi, several prominent names who shared the court with Thiem over the years congratulated him.
The legendary Rafael Nadal, who got the better of Thiem in two French Open finals in 2018 and 2019, shared the official ATP Tour's farewell video for the Austrian as an Instagram Story and added the caption:
"Danke Domi" (Thank you Domi, translated from German)
Boris Becker, who attended the special pre-tournament farewell for Thiem at the Vienna Open, also shared a compilation video of the Austrian lifting all the trophies he won on the ATP Tour via an Instagram Story, captioning it:
"Word"
Thiem's close friend Alexander Zverev also chimed in with a more elaborate Instagram post. The German had also played a friendly against Thiem in Vienna ahead of the Vienna Open. Zverev wrote on Instagram:
"Everyone's tennis career will unfortunately come to an end sooner or later. But the people you meet and friendships you build will hopefully last a lifetime. Thank you @domithiem for the toughest battles I have ever had on court. Thank you for the most unforgettable moments we were able to share outside the court. Thank you for showing that a true friendship is possible even while being one of the biggest rivals. This isn't a goodbye. This is a see you soon my friend."
It was Zverev who Thiem got the better of back in the final of the 2020 US Open. The German established a two-sets-to-love advantage on the night, but the Austian made a miraculous recovery and ultimately won his only Major title.
Canadians Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov also thanked the Austrian for his contributions to their lives and to the sport of tennis.
Alex de Minaur lauded Thiem for his personality off the court.
Earlier, the now-retired Roger Federer had also congratulated Dominic Thiem. The Swiss recalled how a particular shot of the Austrian's always proved troublesome for him.
Roger Federer remembered how Dominic Thiem's signature shot bothered him on every surface
Dominic Thiem and Roger Federer clashed seven times on the ATP Tour, and the Austrian won five of those matches. Sending his own farewell message to the Austrian, Federer revisited his losses to Thiem and how the former World No. 3's powerful one-handed backhand caused him all sorts of problems.
"An illustrious career comes to a close, 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," Roger Federer wrote on Instagram.
Dominic Thiem leaves the ATP Tour as a 17-time titlist. The Austrian also amassed over $30 million in prize money over the years on the ATP Tour.