WATCH: Emotional scenes at Vienna Open as Dominic Thiem bows out of tennis under rapturous applause from home fans in retirement tournament
Dominic Thiem officially embraced retirement on Tuesday, October 22, after his first-round loss to Luciano Darderi at the Vienna Open. The Austrian soaked in the emotional moment, while receiving a rapturous applause from his home crowd.
Thiem, 31, announced earlier this year that he would retire from the sport after playing in his home tournament. The former World No. 3 recurring wrist injuries forced him to make this decision.
On Tuesday, October 22, Thiem entered the Center Court of the Wiener Stadthalle to face Italy's Darderi in the first round of the Vienna Open. A packed stadium witnessed moments of prime Thiem in the first set as he led 5-2 in the tiebreaker. However, the Austrian lost consecutive points, eventually losing the tiebreaker 6-8.
The second set was more comfortable for his World No. 42 opponent as the Italian picked up a 7-6(6), 6-2 win. Following the match, Thiem remained on the court, receiving a standing ovation from his home fans in recognition of his remarkable career.
Watch the emotional moment here:
The 31-year-old was also given the symbolic opportunity to "hang up his racket" before leaving the court, a poignant gesture marking his retirement. The racket will be auctioned off for charity, adding even more significance to the moment.
Thiem won the 2020 US Open title and finished as runner-up in three Grand Slam events and two ATP Finals. He is a former World No. 3 with 17 ATP singles titles under his belt.
"Please continue to carry on this beautiful sport" - Dominic Thiem urges Austria to produce tennis stars after his retirement
In his post-match speech, Dominic Thiem expressed that his tennis career had been a dream come true.
"In the last weeks and months, I have had many beautiful farewells. It has all been wonderful. Now I must thank you for all the amazing years. This entire journey has been an absolute dream—your support has always meant so much to me," Thiem said.
Further, he requested his nation to continue playing the sport.
"I also have a request. Tennis in Austria has seen a massive resurgence in recent years—please continue to carry on this beautiful sport so it remains as vibrant as it is now," he added.
Currently ranked World No. 79, Sebastian Ofner is the only Austrian male player in the ATP Top 200. Austrians who follow Ofner in the rankings are Jurij Rodionov (203), Lukas Neumayer (255), and Filip Misolic (260).