Grand Slam winner Dominic Thiem resigns. © APA / EXPA/STEFAN ADELSBERGER

Dominic Thiem's ​​last big appearance

Enjoy the atmosphere of a major tennis event once more, serve once more at the site of his greatest triumph: Dominic Thiem has received a wildcard for the US Open in New York, with prize money of 75 million dollars, to round off his career.

August 19, 2024

From: apa/det

"I'm really looking forward to the US Open because it was a bit surprising that I got the wildcard again," Thiem said in response to an APA query before his departure on Tuesday.

"I am happy and motivated. We will fly there on Tuesday, which means we will have five hopefully good days of training and of course now in Vienna on hard court," said the former third-placed player in the world rankings.

He made history in New York

This wildcard for the Lower Austrian, who has since fallen to 210th place, was made possible mainly thanks to his triumph four years ago. At that time, he was the second Austrian after Thomas Muster (French Open 1995) to win a Grand Slam singles tournament. In his 26th major and in his fourth final at the highest tournament level, Thiem wrote red-white-red sports history on September 13, 2020 (local time or 02:19 a.m. CEST on September 14.9).

Dominic Thiem won the US Open in 2020. © GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP / PHOTO BY / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP / PHOTO BY

In a not very high-class final against the German Alexander Zverev, he recovered from a 0:2 set deficit and won after 4 hours and 01 minute with 2:6,4:6,6:4,6:3,7:6(6). Thiem is still the first player in the professional era to turn around a 0:2 set deficit in the final of the US Open.

Suddenly the career came to a standstill

Immediately afterwards, he reached the quarterfinals of the French Open, which had been postponed to October due to Corona, and the final for a second time at the ATP Finals in London. But he didn't feel completely relaxed, but rather a certain saturation and a lack of motivation. And then, in June 2021, the fatal wrist injury happened. After that, Thiem never found his way back to the level he once played at.

After the US Open, Thiem will play at the UTS exhibition event in Frankfurt in October (18 to 20.10 October) and will then say goodbye to the tennis stage for good at the Erste Bank Open in the Vienna Stadthalle.