Dominic Thiem downfall: Is this the end of the road for a player once thought to be Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic's heir apparent?

A scattered crowd of around 1000 spectators saw Dominic Thiem lose in the first round of the BMW Open to world number 240, Alejandro Moro Canas, in Munich. However, there was an air of acceptance around the result which cannot be classified as an upset. Such has been the fall of the once highly touted Austrian, Dominic Thiem.

The 2020 US Open champion was seen as the future of tennis, the worthy heir to Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. However, the Austrian has failed to live up to the high expectations and succumbed to injuries. Now, at just 30, Thiem is pondering his future in tennis, which promised so much just as far as three years back.

Dominic Thiem was on top of the world after the US Open 2020. The Austrian had clinched his first-ever Grand Slam title after coming back from two sets down to defeat Alexander Zverev, 2–6, 4–6, 6–4, 6–3, 7–6 in the final. This felt like a breakthrough moment in Thiem's career as the Austrian finally won a major after losing three finals. However, the moment that was supposed to be a springboard for success could end up as the only high point of a disappointing career.

In an era dominated by the 'Big 3', Thiem had succeeded in carving out a place for himself. The Austrian impressed from a young age and looked natural on clay surfaces as he made it to the semi-finals of the French Open in 2016. His form on clay improved as he made two French Open finals, but was defeated by Rafael Nadal on both occasions.

While there is no shame in losing to Nadal on clay, the Austrian would be disappointed with his performance in the Australian Open final in 2020. Thiem was one set away from winning his maiden Grand Slam title in Melbourne but could not get over the finish line against Novak Djokovic. However, a US Open title win at the end of 2020 felt like a turning point in his career.

After winning the Grand Slam in New York, expectations were on Thiem to kick start his domination in men's tennis and take over from an ageing 'Big 3'. However, the opposite has happened. Thiem, at 30, is languishing at world ranking 105 and participating in ATP 250 tournaments just to get higher in the ranking. The Austrian has seen a major fall in form and a couple of serious injuries have meant that Thiem is still struggling to find his best game.

Dominic Thiem suffered a major wrist injury during the 2021 season and the Austrian was sidelined for more than seven months due to this injury as it was more severe than first imagined. Now, more than two years after that wrist injury, the Austrian is still trying to find his form and is yet to win any major title on the tennis calendar.

Dominic Thiem already thinking about retirement

With his form nowhere near good enough to challenge for major titles, Dominic Theim is already thinking about retirement. The former US Open champion has struggled since his wrist injury and is yet to win any title since his US Open triumph in 2020.

After a first-round exit at the Australian Open, Dominic Thiem posted a cryptic message on his Instagram account, hinting at retirement. The Austrian congratulated Felix Auger-Aliassime on his win before adding 'Now I will return to Austria to plan my next steps. Will keep you updated!' to his caption. The rumour mills were in full flow discussing whether Thiem had decided to retire from professional tennis. However, Thiem offered a frank assessment of his situation soon to the Austrian media.

Speaking to the Austrian website, SportsORF, Thiem admitted that the 2024 season will determine his career. The former US Open champion is set to compete in a lot of ATP 250 tournaments to try and improve his ranking which has been around 100 for the last couple of years. The Austrian even hinted at retirement if the 2024 season does not go according to plan.

“I’ve been back for two years since the injury, and I finished 100 or so in 2022 and 98 last year. If I finish the year at 100 again, you have to consider whether the whole thing is still worthwhile.”

While Thiem's future is still up for discussion, one thing is for sure, the Austrian has failed to live up to his potential. The man once compared to the likes of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal is now nowhere near the top of the men's game. The tennis fans could only hope that Thiem finds his joy back and thrill his fans for one last season in 2024.