Tennis News: Dominic Thiem Drops a Major Retirement Bombshell Following Australian Open Heartbreak

After a rollercoaster of a career, Dominic Thiem bowed out in the opening round of the Australian Open after losing against Felix Auger-Aliassime. Languishing at the 90th spot on the ATP rankings chart, the Austrian tennis star said that he would play the Davis Cup and the UTS alongside the Challenger tournaments. Subsequently, he will decide what to do after playing 3 Challenger tournaments in March.

Having seen massive peaks and troughs in his tennis career, Thiem feels that this is his last chance on the tour as he has languished near the 100th spot for two consecutive seasons. While he is aiming for the top 50, if he doesn’t achieve it, he may call time on his career.

The greatest moment of Dominic Thiem’s career came in 2020 when he won the US Open title. However, since then, tennis has taken a downturn. Injuries are to be equally blamed for his inconsistent run across the tournaments. Following his Grand Slam victory in 2020, Thiem hasn’t reached the quarterfinal stages of the major tournaments.

DIVE DEEPER: 3 Reasons Why Dominic Thiem Will Have a Resurgent 2024 Season

Further, he hasn’t had a promising start to the 2024 season, losing in the first round of both the tournaments played Down Under. Although Thiem shocked the tennis world by hinting at retirement, he once quashed these rumors a few months back.

Dominic Thiem had contradictory stance on retirement

In November last year, the former World Number 3 appeared in the ES Fancast. During an interview there, he rejected rumors surrounding his retirement from tennis. These rumors erupted as Thiem was struggling to make a mark on the tour.

Talking about the prospects of his retirement, the Austrian star said, “No, no, was never there. Of course, there were tough moments where you think about it maybe sometimes, yeah! It would be nicer now to do something else, not to face the same stuff for so many days in a row.” 

Further, he went on to add, “But to really consider leaving the game, know I’m too young still or also at the injury, I was too young still and yeah, I also want to prove to myself that I’m able to get back at a great level, you know even after my injury.”

For now, Thiem will be seen in action on the Challenger Tour. But his longevity solely depends on his performances over the coming months. Nonetheless, it is a hard time for his fans, who fear the worst if recent displays continue.

WATCH THE STORY:  Serena Williams pays tribute to Roger Federer.