Dominic Thiem’s career came to an abrupt end in 2024, after being forced to retire early from the sport due to injury.
In May last year, the Austrian announced he would call a halt to his time on the ATP Tour following a wrist injury he sustained in 2021.
The setback saw him sidelined for 10 months, resulting in his ranking falling outside the top 350, and while he managed to re-enter the world’s top 100, his level never returned to what it once was.
Thiem, who played his last match at the 2024 Vienna Open, said it ‘hurt’ to retire at the age of 31, but believed it was the right decision.
Recently, the 2020 US Open champion discussed what life was like after he called it a day on his fantastic career.
Dominic Thiem reveals what life was like after he retired
When asked in an interview with ‘Beyond Business Cast’ how he felt after playing his final match, Thiem said: “All the pressure and constant tension completely dropped, that was a really, really pleasant feeling, but also extremely strange.
“Because the whole daily routine is completely turned upside down, and the whole structure that was there disappears.
“Creating a new structure and not just drifting through the day was a real challenge. Then, of course, all the hassles disappear.
“That indescribable feeling after a victory after every single match win. Those hours in a complete euphoria where you just feel amazing, where nothing can shake you or anything, and you go wild [went].
“But in general, there’s just a much better balance now because, of course, the lows aren’t there anymore.
“The ones that come after a defeat or the ones where you’re on the road for weeks. Generally, the balance is more pleasant now than it used to be, even if the peaks are gone.”
Dominic Thiem’s sole ATP final after his wrist injury in 2021
Thiem suffered his career-derailing wrist injury during a match at the Mallorca Championships in June 2021 and did not return to action until March 2022, when he appeared at a Challenger event in Marbella.
He did not win a match until July that year, recording seven straight defeats before finally picking up a victory in Salzburg.
The former world number three started to pick up some momentum after that, reaching the semifinals in Gstaad, Gijon and Antwerp while also advancing to the final of a Challenger tournament in Rennes.
In 2023, Thiem reached the championship match of an ATP event for the first time since 2020, making it to the final of a clay-court ATP 250 competition in Kitzbuhel.
There, he ultimately fell to Sebastian Baez in straight sets and did not return to a tour-level title bout for the remainder of his career.
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