Former US Open champion Dominic Thiem says 2024 is his 'last chance' to make progress with tennis future on the line

Former US Open champion Dominic Thiem will consider his tennis future if he doesn't make any further progress up the rankings in 2024 as he says this year is 'last chance' as his tennis turmoil continues with retirement at just past 30 a possibility for the Austrian.

After becoming US Open champion and reaching the top three in the world, a wrist injury saw his tennis struggles begin and his career come crashing down. He withdrew from the Tokyo Olympics and then suffered a right wrist injury in Mallorca as well as withdrawing from the remainder of the 2021 season. He made his return in 2022 and went up back into the top 100. But aside from making his first ATP Final in three years in 2023, he has failed to get past that hurdle which he says is part of his decision.

He lost to Rafael Nadal after edging through qualifying in Brisbane to start the 2024 season but lost in a five set, near five hour match with Felix Auger-Aliassime in Melbourne. “I've been back for two years since the injury, and I finished at 100 or so in 2022 and last year at 98. If I end the year again at 100, you have to consider whether the whole thing is still worth it," he said as per Der Standard.

He won't play Indian Wells or Miami either with three Challenger Tournaments in a bid for confidence and match winning form preferred with the goal of top 50 by the end of the year. He has also split with coach, Benjamin Ebrahimzadeh and has a new coach lined up who is not in fact Austrian. But it seems to be last chance saloon for the former Grand Slam champion or his career will be sadly curtailed after the highest of highs followed by the lowest of lows.