Austrian superstar Dominic Thiem’s retirement run has finally begun as he was given a farewell Sunday ceremony in his game in Vienna at the Erste Bank Open, with the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic paying tribute to the star for his impressive performances over the years.

Dominic Thiem announced his intention of retiring from the game by the end of the Vienna Open this October. So far, Thiem’s campaign this year has been quite special, and it cannot be denied that the star has become a prominent icon who’s been on the rise over the years. Thiem’s success in the ATP Tour was celebrated in his final run this year, and he definitely felt at home.

Ranking as high as the world no. 3, Dominic Thiem started pro in 2011, putting up impressive performances, climbing all the way to the top of the tennis world. It cannot be denied that Thiem’s retirement from the tennis action also says a lot about how Austrian tennis will quite die down after he steps out of the action.

A Talented Star On the Exit

Dominic Thiem won a total of 17 ATP Tour singles titles, which also includes a win in the 2020 US Open, where he needed to come back from two sets down to beat Alexander Zverev. He is the first player from the 1990s to claim a Major singles title, and the only Austrian to ever win in the hard courts of the US Open.

So far, Thiem finished with a 348–213 (62.3% win rate) and finished as high as the world no. 3, challenging the likes of Federer, Djokovic, and Nadal for dominance over the years. Thiem was also runner-up at the 2019 and 2020 ATP Finals, where he lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev, respectively.

He has reached the finals in the Australian Open, French Open, and the US Open – only winning in the latter. Thiem won the 2020 Austrian Sportsman of the Year award, the fourth time a tennis player has won the award since its creation in 1949.

Final Sunday in Vienna

At the age of 31, Thiem has spent a promising day in celebrating the final run of his career. The Austrian star said that it hurts seeing that his journey was coming to an end, but claims that he’s had a wonderful time in making the most out of his career in the ATP Tour.

“It was an incredible journey. You were the most important ones, opponents and friends and it was always a pleasure to be with you,” said Thiem after walking through a guard of honour that included his ATP Tour rivals Frances Tiafoe, Matteo Berrettini and Jack Draper, as well as his former coach Nicolas Massu and Germans Boris Becker, Tommy Haas and Matthias Bachinger. “It means so much to me that you were there today.”

Thiem is known for being a massive star in Austria and has had a high-fan presence in his games. His career was disrupted by a tough injury in 2021 but managed to return to action in his games in 2022. The Austrian star, however, would not come out to get his impressive groove back and fall down the ATP Tour rankings as time went by. With that said, Thiem would go on to decide to retire and call it a career at the end of the Vienna Open.