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The 2020 US Open champion Dominc Thiem will take the field in New York on Monday night. He returns to the tournament where he reached the peak of his career four years ago, and where he will most likely be seen playing for the last time.
“Every Grand Slam final, I felt like it could be the last, because the road is very hard. You have to beat great players, you have to stay healthy. Lots and lots of little things have to come together. “When I played against Sascha that day in New York, it felt like it was now or never,” he previously told Tennis Majors.
On the opening day of the tournament, the Austrian tennis player will meet the American Ben Shelton, who is in bomb form and could even surprise the biggest with a big march, so he is currently 210 in the world ranking. It will not be easy for Thiem if he wants to advance to the second round.
Dominic Thiem with the US Open trophy
Dominic Thiem decided to say goodbye to the world of Grand Slam tournaments in New York. This is a somewhat logical decision, since although he played in the final twice at Roland Garros, his only GS victory was at the US Open. The Grand Slam tournament became the peak for him, which most people look back on with not very pleasant memories – it was the covid US Open, when due to the restrictions he could only show how good he is in front of empty stands.
This time, however, his form is far behind the previous one, he last won a match in May, in the qualifiers for the Garros, but this time he was invited to the main draw by the Americans (as was Stan Wawrinka), which is not surprising as a former champion. However, the first match of this year’s tournament may be the last for him.
It is bittersweet that on Monday night we will see the Austrian tennis player at the Arthur Ashe court for the last time in a Grand Slam tournament.
Thiem played 29 finals in his career, winning 17 of them. His greatest success was the trophy he won at the 2020 US Open, but he also won in Indian Wells, and he also reached the finals twice at Roland Garros and the World Championship, as well as once at the Australian Open. He reached the 3rd place in the ranking list. The Austrian tennis player is expected to finish his career in his home environment, at the 500 tournament in Vienna, which he won in 2019.
Thiem has won just two main draw matches in 2024, most recently in Estoril on clay in April, so it’s not so strange that he currently finds himself well outside the top 200 in the world rankings.
Last time here, in 2023, he won his first match at the US Open, beating Alexander Bublik in three straight sets, but then… along came Ben Shelton. They spent just over an hour on the court when, after a tiebreak in the first game, at the beginning of the second set, Thiem indicated that he could not continue the match.
“I hate that this will be Domi’s last Grand Slam, but when you play against a former champion in a tournament, especially a Grand Slam, it’s a really special experience and a great challenge. He was able to lift the trophy here at the end of two weeks, which few people in the world can say about themselves,” said Ben Shelton at the press conference before Monday’s game.
Dominic Thiem a 2023-as US Openen
Thiem’s career took a dramatic turn shortly after his US Open title, he suffered from injury after injury during the tournaments, and in the last three years he could barely control his game. However, his wrist injury did not allow him, he persistently followed him everywhere, so at the age of 28 he had to realize that that certain US Open was a one-time and unrepeatable opportunity.
Many people probably think that if someone, Thiem, deserved better, more than this.
The Austrian has not been the master of what happens to him on the tennis courts for a long time, but now he got the chance to say goodbye where a champion should.
“Thank you for this wonderful farewell,” he said after his elimination in the qualifiers at Roland Garros last May. “I have a really special relationship with this tournament. From my second year playing here, I reached the finals as a junior, and little by little I built a wonderful bond with the tournament and the audience”.
Maybe we’ll hear something similar in New York, the only question is exactly when.
Follow the US Open live on Eurosport, the match between Dominic Thiem and Ben Shelton will also be shown live on Eurosport 1 from 18:00, but all matches of the tournament can be watched commercial-free and even later on Max.
