"One of the biggest 'What Ifs?' alongside Juan Martin del Potro & Monica Seles"- Fans lament as reports of Dominic Thiem's impending retirement emerge

Reports have emerged from Austria suggesting that Dominic Thiem is contemplating retirement later this year after featuring at the Vienna Open. The reports did not sit well with tennis fans and drew sad reactions from them.

Thiem made his ATP Tour debut in 2011 and went on to break into the top 10 of the ATP Tour rankings in 2016. The Austrian's greatest achievement came at the 2020 US Open, where he won the title after coming back from two sets down against Alexander Zverev in the final. The same year, he also broke into the ATP top 3 for the first time in his career.

However, in 2021, Thiem sustained a wrist injury while playing Adrian Mannarino at the Mallorca Championships. The injury would mark the start of the Austrian's swift decline, as it had a devastating impact on his aggressive style of play.

The former ATP World No. 3 currently finds himself languishing with a World No. 117 ranking. Despite his best efforts to continue playing at the highest level, his persistent issues stemming from the wrist injury he sustained in 2021 have prevented him from rediscovering his best form. Thiem's last outing came at the recently-concluded Madrid Open, where he was ousted in the second round of qualifying by Thanasi Kokkinakis.

After reports of Thiem's impending retirement surfaced from his native Austria, tennis fans on Reddit lamented the 30-year-old's apparent plans to call time on his career.

[Jose Morgado] Reports in Austria that Dominic Thiem is planning to retire in Vienna this year. Already started to tell his sponsors. byu/jovanmilic97 intennis

One set of fans expressed despair at the development, opining that Thiem never realized his full potential.

"One of the biggest 'what ifs?' of the sport alongside DelPo and Seles. Unbelievable how things turned out for him. It's honestly depressing," one fan wrote.

Comment byu/jovanmilic97 from discussion intennis

"This is heartbreaking but not really surprising," another fan commented.

"Big booty Thiem was such an electrifying player to watch when he was on his A game! I remember watching him play until the early hours in Flushing during his peak and then hobbling his way to win the GS against Zverev. It's been sad to watch his decline, but I hope he can appreciate what he did for the sport," another fan chimed in.

"Poor guy. Here’s to having the tiniest bit of hope he’ll make some sort of a Murray-like comeback after giving his wrist 100% rest for a couple of years. Very happy he at least got 1 GS title in his career though," wrote another fan.

Another set of fans was of the opinion that it is the right time for Thiem to retire, considering his drastic dip in form following his wrist injury.

"So sad but I doubt he needs the money and can't even get close to winning a challenger," one fan commented.

"No shame in that. A better career than most players will ever achieve. 2017 - 2020 Thiem, on a good day, was maybe my favourite player to watch. Insane power, beautiful groundstrokes and top 5 level movement. A deeply unfortunate injury. But I think he’d make a great coach with his tennis IQ, if he wants to of course," another fan wrote.

"I hate to say it but it was time. He’s been beyond awful the past 12 months. Still, he achieved anything beyond his wildest dreams and should be beyond proud with his career. The tennis world will always remember Thiem fondly," commented another fan.

"I had a bit more power, more confidence" - Dominic Thiem on his pre-injury level of tennis

Dominic Thiem at the 2024 Kooyong Classic

In early April this year, Thiem competed at the Estoril Open in Portugal and registered a morale-boosting first-round victory over Maximilian Marterer in three sets. However, the Austrian's run at the ATP 250 event was cut short by veteran Richard Gasquet in the next round.

Before the match against Marterer, the 2020 US Open champion attended a press conference, where he compared his present self to the feared player that he was on the ATP Tour before his wrist injury.

"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. 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," Thiem said.

Main draw matches at the 2024 Vienna Open are slated to begin on Monday, October 21.