NEW YORK — 4 years after his solely main title, Dominic Thiem stood on the identical courtroom at Arthur Ashe Stadium and performed the ultimate Slam match of his profession.
Though the stadium was the identical, nearly all the things else was totally different. In 2020, the second-seeded Thiem pulled off a dramatic five-set comeback over Alexander Zverev within the last in entrance of limitless swaths of empty seats due to the pandemic. On Monday, an enthusiastic crowd noticed Thiem, now ranked No. 210 after struggling for a number of years with a wrist damage, fall to American Ben Shelton in three largely unremarkable units 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 in below two hours.
However regardless of the lopsided outcome, and early exit, Thiem could not assist however smile.
“It is truly a extremely essential second for me as a result of I [had] my biggest success of my profession on this bizarre 2020,” Thiem, 30, advised the gang after the match. “It was unusual and totally different circumstances and sadly I had this success with none of you. In order that was in fact a extremely superb second, however then again, additionally fairly unhappy.
“So I am tremendous glad that I bought the possibility to play my final US Open, my final match right here on this courtroom, and now I can spend a while with you guys to say thanks to all of you, and make up time we missed 4 years in the past. In order that’s a extremely particular second. I am very grateful for everyone who got here and all people who bought me the possibility to play right here for one final time.”
Not a dry eye in the home 🥲
Our 2020 champion Dominic Thiem bids an emotional farewell to the US Open. pic.twitter.com/Ru7AKwpYL1
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 26, 2024
Along with highlights of his 2020 run proven on the videoboard, Thiem was offered with a framed poster from the event that includes footage from the years of his time enjoying on the US Open. After posing for images on courtroom, he sat and watched Shelton do his postmatch interview. He later mentioned he simply tried to soak all the things in.
It was probably not the best way Thiem had envisioned his Slam profession ending, and he certainly would have wished to win extra main titles earlier than driving off into the sundown, however for Thiem, it was nonetheless greater than he ever may have hoped for.
“I feel the fundamental motive why I am right here now retiring fairly younger remains to be the dangerous luck with the wrist damage,” Thiem mentioned Monday afternoon. “However once more, like, I am actually pleased with the profession I had earlier than. I by no means anticipated [to] be that profitable, so I haven’t got actually any regrets, and I am good with that.”
Not like lots of his friends, Thiem did not flip skilled with the intrinsic self-belief he may sometime win a serious. The truth is, he advised reporters in 2020, the primary time it occurred to him that it was one thing he may realistically do was after he made his first semifinals on the French Open in 2016.
And even then, he was certain it might be on the purple clay if he had been ever to do it.
However by the point the US Open rolled round in 2020, he had already performed in three Slam finals, two at Roland Garros and one on the Australian Open. In New York, he did not should face a member of the Huge Three (Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal of Novak Djokovic) and he knew it is perhaps his greatest alternative to etch his title among the many sport’s greatest on the game’s largest stage.
Regardless of falling into an early deficit within the last, and coping with nerves and cramping within the fifth set, Thiem did not let the possibility go to waste. He fell on the courtroom after he secured the win in a combination of disbelief, aid and pleasure.
However he by no means was capable of replicate that success. He started struggling along with his wrist in 2021, in addition to his general kind and his psychological well being. He fell out of the highest 300 in 2022 and even went by a 14-month stretch with out a victory on tour. Thiem has gained only one main match for the reason that begin of the 2022 season — through the US Open final 12 months — and did not even advance by qualifying on the French Open this 12 months.
In March, Thiem accepted that he would probably by no means be capable to play on the stage he as soon as had and introduced this could be his last season on tour.
“From [that] second on, I used to be glad about it.” Thiem mentioned. “Clearly I used to be additionally capable of form of put together already [for] this new chapter [and] what’s coming quickly. Actually, I all the time beloved enjoying on tour, and I used to be very affected person about it, however I additionally all the time actually loved to be house and to have, as a lot because it was doable, form of a standard life at house. And that is why I all the time, I actually sit up for this one now, that the conventional life is now coming.
“That is why I feel it is not that troublesome for me, and that is why I am actually additionally pleased with my choice.”
Thiem, who will formally finish his profession on the Vienna Open in his native Austria subsequent month, mentioned he was excited to not should journey a lot sooner or later and to “actually get used to a life principally in a single place.” He plans to additional his work in sustainability tasks and discover a method to keep concerned in tennis, and reiterated a number of instances how a lot he was trying ahead to what was subsequent.
Earlier than the event, Emma Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, was requested concerning the not too long ago retired Andy Murray and if the tour felt totally different along with his absence. She did not sugarcoat it.
“Tennis is unforgiving in that sense. Irrespective of who you might be, it simply strikes on,” she mentioned. “There may be all the time one other match, there’s all the time one other event.”
Thiem appeared to have accepted that actuality way back. And after the match Monday, Shelton reiterated Raducanu’s sentiment however mentioned watching Thiem would not be one thing he would neglect anytime quickly.
“I feel if I be taught something from him, it is that, you realize, it is a sport that’s unforgiving,” Shelton mentioned. “Issues can change fast. You might be on the high of the sport, and your physique would not maintain up or some freak accident occurs, accidents occur on a regular basis. So tennis is not without end. Clearly [he] nonetheless had a profession that lots of people dream about. However yeah, issues can change rapidly, so undoubtedly be, you realize, grateful for each second that I’ve enjoying out right here.”
