Dominic Thiem’s Grand Slam journey came to an end at the US Open on Monday, closing on the very same Arthur Ashe court where he achieved his sole major win in 2020. The ex-champion experienced various peaks and valleys throughout his journey, but coming back to the same court where he had his biggest victory, only to meet his end, adds a bittersweet element to his tennis narrative.
Dominic Thiem, the former world number three often plagued by injuries, was defeated 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 by American 13th seed Ben Shelton at the US Open, making it his eighth first-round exit in his last 10 Grand Slam tournaments. Thiem’s issues with both physical condition and performance were clear as he approached the final stages of his Grand Slam career, unable to reach the same high level that had previously led him to victory.
Dominic Thiem had previously stated his intention to retire from professional tennis in October, opting to conclude his career on home turf in Vienna. The winner of the 2020 US Open admitted that his continued battle with a chronic wrist injury has hindered his ability to reach his peak performance level. Thiem has chosen to end his fight for complete recovery and say goodbye to the sport with this choice.
After Thiem won his first Grand Slam by beating Alexander Zverev in the 2020 US Open final after being two sets behind, it seemed like he was ready to compete with top players like Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal.
It also broke a streak of losing in three Slam finals in a row, with defeats to Nadal at the 2018 and 2019 French Open and to Djokovic in five sets at the 2020 Australian Open.
Nonetheless, Dominic Thiem’s bright future in tennis faced a setback in the summer of 2021 when he injured his wrist at the Mallorca ATP tournament. This injury signaled the start of a difficult time for Thiem, greatly affecting his performance and resulting in a prolonged effort to recover his level of play.
Thiem suffered a major injury to the ligaments in his wrist, causing him to sit out the rest of the 2021 season. This setback from an injury prevented him from competing, disrupting his progress and leading to a difficult period of recovery and rehabilitation in order to return to his previous level of performance.
He participated in only two Slams in 2022 and saw his ranking drop to below the top 100 for the first time in more than ten years.
“Simply put, I appreciate all the support given.” Thiem mentioned that he had his best on-court achievement in this place a decade after his first game, with only a small audience present due to the Covid crisis during the 2020 tournament.
However, it felt strange when I emerged victorious in 2020. I achieved success without any of you present in highly rigid circumstances.
I am extremely thrilled to have the opportunity to perform for you and on this particular court. Thank you for compensating for the time we lost.
Before the US Open, Thiem had only secured victory in two main draw matches throughout the year, with the latest one taking place at Estoril in early April.
His ranking dropped to 210 necessitating him to obtain a wildcard in order to compete in New York. Shelton had nothing but compliments for Thiem, who has won 17 career titles and earned over $30 million in prize money.
Shelton and his rival exchanged friendly remarks at the net before Shelton encouraged the crowd to applaud.
I would like to extend my congratulations to Dom for a remarkable career. Shelton said, “Winning four Grand Slam finals and a championship is the type of accomplishment that children fantasize about while lounging on the sofa at home.” Not long ago, that was me.
Seeing Dominic around is always wonderful because he always has a smile on his face. “He is adored by many individuals.”