Dominic Thiem endured one of the most emotional nights of his career as he said his goodbyes to tennis.
Thiem was praised by Jannik Sinner ahead of his retirement, having decided to call time on his career after the Vienna Open.
And home favourite Thiem has now acted on that decision, having suffered a round of 32 loss to Luciano Darderi.
Darderi played the role of the villain at the Vienna Open, where Thiem thanked his supporters for his farewell event.
The former world number three bowed out with a straight sets defeat against the Italian, who won 7-6(8-6), 6-2.
Dominic Thiem reacts on court after final match before retiring
But Thiem can hold his head very high after a stunning career that involved 17-tour level wins, including the 2020 US Open.
As per the ATP website, Thiem spoke on court after his last ever match, saying: “I’ve had so many nice goodbyes in the last few months, but today I want to say thank you for all the sensational years.
“I am only a part of this career. The whole journey has been an absolute dream and I want this afternoon, this evening to be yours. I couldn’t have imagined it any better. Thank you!”
Vienna Open roars on after Dominic Thiem retirement
There will be plenty of time for Thiem to now say his final farewells to tennis, with the Austrian deserving of his fantastic send-off on home soil.
But the Vienna Open won’t slow down for anyone, with plenty of top ATP stars eyeing glory at this crucial event.
The ATP 500 tournament will have a big say in the Race to Turin, with spots for the year-end event up for grabs.
Top seed Alexander Zverev is safely into the round of 16, along with second seed Alex de Minaur and American ace Frances Tiafoe.
Also eyeing glory in the Austrian capital are the likes of young breakout stars Lorenzo Musetti and Jack Draper.
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