It was September 13 (local time) when Dominic Thiem was able to raise the US Open trophy into the New York night sky after a five-set thriller against Alexander Zverev.
At the time, the Lichtenwörther hoped that the long-awaited first Grand Slam title would be a boost for his future career: “The topic is now ticked off and I also expect that this will help me and that I will be a bit more relaxed in the matches and in the really big tournaments.”
Hopes that were not to come true. Instead of a relaxed attitude, a lack of motivation awaited. Instead of a springboard, the title became a turning point. Today – four years later, marked by a wrist injury – Thiem is flying to the US Open again. Not to have a say in the title at the tournament with prize money of 75 million dollars, but to say goodbye.
The 30-year-old, whose career ends in the autumn, can count himself lucky as world number 210 to be able to avoid the qualification that began yesterday.
“I’m really looking forward to the US Open because it was a bit surprising that I got the wildcard again,” said Thiem.
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Since Thiem is already arriving in New York on Tuesday, he has time to adjust to the conditions. “Hopefully we’ll have five days of training,” said the former world number three, who has also been training on hard courts in Vienna over the past few days.
His expectations for the last major appearance of his career are limited. He only won once at ATP Tour level in the main draw this year, and even when he left Kitzbühel around a month ago, he only sporadically showed flashes of his old class in the first round.
“A first-round win is of course the goal, but that absolutely depends on the draw. I hope that I can play a really good last US Open,” said Thiem. He will find out the name of his first-round opponent on Thursday. After the US Open, Thiem will play at the UTS exhibition event in Frankfurt in October (October 18th to 20th) and then say goodbye to the tennis stage for good at the Erste Bank Open in the Vienna Stadthalle.
Ofner hit
Sebastian Ofner will start at the US Open with a handicap. Austria’s number one has recently been struggling with heel problems.
According to his manager Moritz Thiem, a decision on what happens next will be made after New York. Even another operation cannot be ruled out.
