Dominic Thiem: The final curtain in the theater of emotions

Honor where honor is due. That everything is going on at the 50th anniversary of the Vienna tennis tournament Dominic Thiem spins and even aces like Alexander Zverev (D) mutating into supporting actors is in the nature of things.

A great man says goodbye – with drums, trumpets, awards and everything that goes with the end of a great career. The 31-year-old 2020 US Open champion took hearts by storm – and got what he deserved as a farewell: namely a city hall that was bursting at the seams and completely sold out with 9,800 fans.

If it weren’t for “party fright” Luciano Darderi (Ita), one could have spoken of a perfect evening. Thiem lost in the first round of the Erste Bank Open, which he won in 2019, after a 4:2 lead and set point in the first round 6:7 (6), 2:6. At 7:41 p.m. – after exactly 92 minutes – the final curtain fell.

“The wrist is about 70”

“At 40 I’ll definitely not play anymore,” the Lichtenwörther native once said to the OÖN during his career high, which brought him four Grand Slam finals and third place in the world rankings. That was at a time when the sword of Damocles of the fatal, serious wrist injury (June 2021) was not yet hanging over Thiem. The latter accelerated the decline.

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