"Hope Dominic Thiem has accepted this year is it" "Sad to see, his light has gone out" - Fans react as Austrian's woes continue with BMW Open 1R exit

Dominic Thiem adding to his long line of losses with his latest defeat at the 2024 BMW Open in Munich has devastated tennis fans.

Thiem has been a shell of his former self since sustaining a wrist injury in 2021, falling short of living up to the level of his performances that won him his maiden Grand Slam title at the 2020 US Open.

The 2024 season has been especially challenging for the Austrian. Commencing the year with a first-round loss to Rafael Nadal at the Brisbane International, the former World No. 3 crashed out of the Australian Open in the first round, lost in the second round of the Estoril Open and failed to make it past the qualifiers at the Indian Wells Masters.

Thiem's appearances on the Challenger circuit have also yielded little success, with the 30-year-old recording one win across two tournaments.

Dominic Thiem's on-court struggles continued at the BMW Open, as he took on Alejandro Moro Canas in his opening match. Canas claimed a commanding 6-4, 6-4 win over the Austrian to notch his first win on the ATP tour.

Tennis fans were left disheartened by Thiem's latest loss, lamenting his downfall and suggesting that retirement seems imminent for the former World No. 3.

"I think we will hear of thiem's retirement soon. given how low he has plummeted, I literally can not see how he can get back up," one fan commented.

"All that explosiveness that he used to have off his racket has gone. Really sad to see-like his light has gone out. Hope he gets a fitting send-off, he doesn’t have to prove himself to anyone anymore," another fan chimed in.

"I do genuinely hope that Dominic Thiem has accepted this year is it for him because if he hasn't, this will truly be killing him a little bit more every time," wrote another.

Fans also highlighted Alexander Zverev's remarkable recovery from his horrific ankle injury at the 2022 French Open, contrasting it with Thiem's inability to regain his top form.

"Players like zverev snapped their ankle and only took a few weeks to get to their level. It’s been 4 years since thiem played a match at his highest level," one fan posted.

"Even more outstanding is Zverev is an insulin dependent diabetic," said another.

"I just can’t believe how long this has been going on… Look at Zverev, who’s had a horrible injury, came back on tour and is now as great as he was before. Why couldn’t this happen to Dominic? Why is he not improving? I just don’t get it," another fan shared.

Fans continued to bemoan Dominic Thiem's decline, with one fan suggesting that the 30-year-old has only gotten worse with every successive year since his comeback.

"Imagine traveling 3years back telling people everyone that now Thiem is the best draw you can get on a clay court," one fan commented.

"The magic is never coming back is it," another fan shared.

"Thiem has somehow gotten worse every year since his comeback, he was playing better in 2022," said yet another.

Comment byu/DjokoIga from discussion intennis

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Dominic Thiem: "I've stopped comparing myself to the player I was before; it's pointless"

Dominic Thiem

Dominic Thiem recently made an honest admission about the decline in his level, highlighting the vast disparity between his current form and his prime and asserting that he simply played "better tennis" during his peak.

However, the Austrian emphasized that comparing himself to his former self is "pointless," sharing that he's focused on making the best of his current situation.

"It's a different galaxy. It's a lot of different things. I had a bit more power, more confidence. I simply played better tennis. It was more fluid," Dominic Thiem said after his Estoril Open first-round win.

"There are a lot of differences, but I've stopped comparing myself to the player I was before. It's pointless and I'm trying to do my best with my current situation," he added.

Dominic Thiem reiterated the sentiment after his second-round exit from the Estoril Open, admitting that he no longer has as much power in his wrist as he used to.

"Today's match wasn't bad, but I still need to find my game rhythm. As I said in my last interview, I'm not the player of 2020 anymore. I have to deal with the current situation, with the fact that my wrist doesn't give me the strength it used to," he posted on X (formerly Twitter).