Dominic Thiem announced his retirement from tennis earlier this season and played his final tournament this week at the Vienna Open.
Thiem retired after losing to Luciano Darderi 7-6, 6-2 in the first round of the tournament, as fans cheered on the home favorite.
The decision to retire came after Thiem struggled with an ongoing wrist injury, which he first picked up back in 2021.
Thiem reached the final of four Grand Slams in his career, winning the 2020 US Open title against German Alexander Zverev.
The Austrian was widely accepted as one of the best players in the world in his prime and reached a career-high of number three in the world.
Injuries derailed Thiem’s career however, and the 31-year-old managed just one main draw win on the ATP Tour in 2024, falling outside the world’s top 300.
Retirement seemed inevitable, but this tennis legend wishes he had told Thiem something before he hung up his racket.
Jimmy Connors wishes Dominic Thiem had come to talk to him before retirement
Jimmy Connors, an eight-time Grand Slam champion, has spoken on his Advantage Connors podcast about what he wishes Thiem had done during his career.
“You don’t really think about your hands and your feet and just how important they are to what you do on the tennis court,” he said.
“I can identify with the wrist.
“I fought that and was out and knew what it was like to go and try to play with my wrist not right and how it affected me and the losses I had which I knew I shouldn’t have.
“I was lucky as my doctor was honest with me and he said if you don’t let me look at your wrist, you’re done. That’s a hard nut to swallow.”
Connors went on to explain what he wish Thiem could’ve done before retiring.
“I wish he would have came and talked,” he said.
“But that’s not my place to do that, those guys have doctors who travel with them now but it would have been a conversation I would have liked to have had with him.”
The American recognised the difficult adjustment that Thiem now faces, and wished him all the best.
“To win a Grand Slam, to win those titles, and to be in the top four or five in the world for a number of years and all that energy,” said Connors.
“To have all that – boom, it’s over.
“A lot of athletes think it will go on forever, but you just never know.
“I hope he goes on and finds something he enjoys doing and that he can sink his teeth in and be as successful at that as he was at tennis.”
What’s next for Dominic Thiem after retirement?
Retiring at such a young age can be difficult for athletes who are used to competing at the highest level, but Thiem isn’t short of options.
The Austrian has recently started a series of vlogs on his YouTube channel, which could well continue post-retirement, sharing his experiences with his loyal fans
Thiem has also long been a proponent of sustainability and has championed the environment throughout his career on the ATP Tour, and may well place a larger focus on that in the coming years.
However, Thiem did confirm that he isn’t planning to become a coach any time soon but left the door open to potentially commentate at some point in the future.
Whatever it is that Thiem decides to do next, his fans will undoubtedly support him, as whilst his career was cut short, he certainly made his mark during his time in the sport.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
