Former US Open champion Dominic Thiem announced on Friday his retirement from tennis at the end of the season following a career plagued by a long-term wrist injury.
The 30-year-old Austrian’s career has nose-dived since his crowning moment in 2020 when he beat Alexander Zverev in the Covid-affected US Open final behind closed doors.
Thiem said several reasons had influenced his decision, mainly his injured wrist and his “inner feeling” that had caused him to “very carefully” reflect on the ups and downs of his “incredible… journey as a tennis player”.
He said he had thought about the decision to end his career “for a very long time”.
In March Thiem said he had a minor recurrence of the wrist injury but returned last month to play events in Estoril, Monte Carlo, Munich and Madrid.
Zverev paid tribute to Thiem after reaching the third round of the Rome Open on Friday.
Once the world number three, Thiem’s ranking plummeted to 352 in June 2022 after a wrist injury sidelined him for nine months and prevented him from defending his US Open title.
He is currently ranked 117th.
Over the course of his career, Thiem won 17 tournaments, including the US Open in 2020.
Twice a finalist at the French Open and once at the Australian Open, Thiem has also contested two finals at the Masters in London that brings together the season’s eight best players.
