Carlos Alcaraz shares what his brother always used to say to him about Dominic Thiem when they were growing up

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Carlos Alcaraz shared some kind words about Dominic Thiem and the impact he had on his younger brother.

The 31-year-old is retiring from professional tennis following the conclusion of the Vienna Open, his home tournament.

Following several years of batting injuries that prevented him from recapturing his best form, Thiem will hang up his racket.

In full flow Thiem was one of the most destructive players on the ATP Tour and he was part of some of the game’s most exciting matches of the past decade.

What did Carlos Alcaraz say about Dominic Thiem ahead of his retirement?

To honour his career, Dominic Thiem had a farewell celebration ahead of his opening round match at the Vienna Open.

Plenty of tributes have been issued following the former World number three’s decision to retire, including from Carlos Alcaraz.

The Spaniard did not have the chance to play against the 2020 US Open winner on tour, but he explained how the player inspired one of his younger brothers.

My little brother used to play tennis, and he was a huge fan of Dominic Thiem. He played with Thiem’s racquet, not mine!,” Alcaraz said about Thiem via the ATP Tour website.

“So he was always watching Dominic’s matches, and I heard often from my brother: ‘I want to play like Dominic Thiem. I want to play like him, with the same racquet and the same style.’ In my family, we have a really high estimation of Dominic.”

Did Carlos Alcaraz practice with Dominic Thiem?

Alcaraz did not compete against Thiem on the ATP Tour, but he did take part in a practice session with the Austrian.

This took place in 2020 when the World number two was just 16 years of age, and it was an experience he was thrilled about.

“I had the chance to watch him play a lot. I shared a few tournaments with him,” the four-time Grand Slam champion said.

“When I played my first ATP Tour tournament in Rio de Janeiro in 2020, I had the chance to practise with him.

“I was super excited about it. I watched him beating the big players, winning the big tournaments. He had a really great career.”