Austria’s Dominic Thiem, former US Open cham-pion, announced his retirement from the sport on Friday, ending a career plagued by a long-term wrist injury.
The 30-year-old’s career has nose-dived since his crowning moment in 2020, when Thiem beat Alexander Zverev in that year’s pandemic-affected US Open final held behind closed doors.
“The season 2024 is gonna be my last one. I am gonna finish my career with the end of this season,” Thiem said in a video statement posted on social media.
Thiem said several reasons had influenced his decision to retire, mainly his injured wrist and his “inner feeling” that had caused him to “very care-fully” 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”. “I am very happy with it (decision) and I am also super excited for everything what is coming next,” he said.
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.—APP
