"Tennis is one of the loneliest sports there is": Dominic Thiem discusses tumultuous tennis journey ahead of retirement

Former world number three Dominic Thiem has opened up about the journey of a tennis player. The 31-year-old was once regarded as one of the best players in men’s tennis. He was once tipped as the ideal candidate to take over once the original ‘Big Three’ would eventually leave the sport.

However, Thiem’s journey has been struck with injuries and fitness concerns. The Wiener Neustadt-born star suffered a serious wrist injury in 2020, which ruled him out of action for most part of 2021. He returned to the court but never managed to reclaim his previous form. Earlier this year, Thiem announced that he would finally retire from professional tennis at the end of the 2024 season. His time as a professional player will come to an end in the upcoming Vienna Open. Ahead of the tournament, Thiem discussed the journey of a tennis player and also explained how the last few months have been nothing short of a roller coaster ride.

"I've travelled enough,” he said. “But I believe that I can help from Austria. Tennis is one of the loneliest sports there is. The last few months have been a rollercoaster ride. But I won't really be able to move on until a foggy day in November." Thiem will finish his career as a one-time Grand Slam winner. His only major triumph was back in 2020 when he defeated Germany’s Alexander Zverev in the final of the US Open in a five-set thriller with a score of 2–6, 4–6, 6–4, 6–3, 7–6.

Other than that, he also finished as the runner-up of a major tournament three times. He lost in the final of the French Open in 2018 to Spain’s legendary tennis star Rafael Nadal in straight sets with a score of 6-4, 6-3, 6-2. Thiem then again lost in the final at the Roland Garros in 2019 to the Spaniard with a score of 6–3, 5–7, 6–1, 6–1. The former world number three also lost in the final of the Australian Open in 2020 to Serbia’s legendary tennis star Novak Djokovic in a five-set thriller with a score of 6–4, 4–6, 2–6, 6–3, 6–4.