"He felt like he's not in the place that he wanted to be" - Matteo Berrettini on Dominic Thiem's decision to retire

Former World No.3 Dominic Thiem played his last professional match at the Vienna Open, calling an end to a career that was shortened by injuries. Italian tennis star Matteo Berrettini believes Thiem's decision was based on the Austrian listening to his body after several attempts at a comeback.

Thiem announced his decision to retire earlier this summer, stating he would end his career in front of home fans at the Vienna Open. The 31-year old received an emotional farewell ceremony prior to the tournament's commencement, before facing Luciano Darderi in the opening round. Despite his best efforts and support from the partisan crowd, Thiem fell to the Italian, who secured a 7-6(6) 6-2 victory.

After winning his maiden Grand Slam title at the 2020 US Open, Thiem would reach a career-high ranking of World No.3. However, the Austrian suffered a wrist injury the following year, which kept him sidelined for several months. Despite several attempts at a comeback, Thiem was never able to overcome the lingering injury, forcing him to announce his retirement.

Berrettini is also competing at the Vienna Open, and the former Wimbledon runner-up reflected on Thiem's decision to retire. The Italian stated Thiem chose to listen to his body and bow out gracefully, which earned him a lot of respect from his colleagues on tour.

"Obviously tennis, it’s not just hitting a tennis ball," said Berrettini. "There are so many things that you have to take care of. We all know that he was struggling with his wrist, and he was a physical player. So once you lose a little bit of confidence in your body, then it’s tough to get going. Plus your motivation, the stuff that you’re doing and everything that is happening around your life.
”I respect a lot about his decision because he felt like he’s not in the place that he wanted to be. He steps away with my respect, and I think, the respect from the rest of the players."