Former US Open winner is ‘preparing’ to retire from tennis at the end of this season

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It has already been a tough year for tennis, with news that both Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal plan to retire at some point during the season.

At 36 and 37 years of age respectively, the pair are certainly in the twilight of their glittering careers, having given so much to the game across their two decades of activity.

However, good things cannot last forever, and just as Roger Federer did a few years ago, their eventual exit from the sport felt inevitable.

It is bittersweet, but not sad.

What is sad is when a truly talented player is forced into retirement due to injuries and matters outside of their control.

That seems set to be the unfortunate case with Dominic Thiem.

Dominic Thiem set to call it a day

Having risen to the apex of the sport in 2020, finishing the year third in the rankings and having lost just nine games, it truly felt like he was ready to start competing at the elite level regularly.

After all, having fallen in the final of the Australian Open, he finally got the monkey off his back in New York, recording his first Grand Slam title at the 2020 US Open.

And not only that, but the year was also filled with some truly historic one-off victories too, having beaten Rafael Nadal in Melbourne and the ATP Finals round robin, before then defeating Novak Djokovic in the ATP end-of-year semi-finals.

So, to see him struck down with a severe wrist injury that very next year marked a hammer blow, and one that has persisted for many years now.

It feels like the lack of progress on that has proven too much for the 30-year-old, with one report from Australian outlet Salzburger Nachrichten now suggesting he is ‘preparing’ to retire at the end of this season.

Having admitted that he would cease playing if he felt he could no longer win and compete, a string of really poor results which has seen him beaten in qualifying rounds and challenger events has clearly pushed him over the edge.

It is such a shame to see a hugely promising career peter out in such disappointing fashion.

A very sad year for men’s tennis

As aforementioned, Thiem will not be the only casualty of 2024, however, of the three now set to retire, he is inexplicably the least relevant.

Naturally, Nadal’s farewell tour will dominate, with his return to play in Barcelona and Madrid already showcasing the mass interest in the Spaniard.

And before that, many clamoured to see Murray struggle his way through matches, with his fitness slowly building before that ankle injury sustained in Miami.

Hopefully, in the coming months, we can see all three star again, and enjoy some kind of late renaissance that does their respective careers justice and lets them leave the sport on a high.