Dominic Thiem, of Austria, watches highlights of his play over time on the U.S. Open after dropping to Ben Shelton, of the US, in the course of the first spherical of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photograph/Seth Wenig)
NEW YORK — Dominic Thiem by no means heard the unmistakable sounds of the New York crowd when he received the US Open for his lone Grand Slam title.
Arthur Ashe Stadium was almost empty for his historic comeback on that 2020 night time, the COVID-19 pandemic forcing the match to be performed with out followers.
So despite the fact that his Grand Slam profession ended Monday with a 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 first-round loss to No. 13 seed Ben Shelton, Thiem mentioned the match was an essential second for him, permitting him to play earlier than a packed home on the court docket the place he had the largest victory of his profession.
READ: Dominic Thiem first since 1949 to win US Open after ceding first two units
Not a dry eye in the home 🥲
Our 2020 champion Dominic Thiem bids an emotional farewell to the US Open. pic.twitter.com/Ru7AKwpYL1
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 26, 2024
“To say thanks to all of you,” Thiem instructed the followers, “and to make the time up for what we missed 4 years in the past.”
Thiem, who will flip 31 subsequent week, has battled wrist accidents lately and had beforehand introduced this could be his ultimate season. He was given a wild card by the U.S. Tennis Affiliation into the match for what turned simply his tenth match of the season.
Thiem beat Alexander Zverev within the 2020 ultimate, successful a fifth-set tiebreaker to grow to be the primary man to win the US Open after dropping the primary two units since 1949. That was already Thiem’s fourth Grand Slam ultimate and there was no cause to suppose there wouldn’t be extra.
The Austrian had reached No. 3 within the ATP rankings that March after attending to the Australian Open ultimate, and the yr ended with him inside the highest 10 for a fifth straight season. He made two French Open finals earlier than that.
However Thiem injured his proper wrist in June 2021 and he may by no means regain the shape or the energy on his forehand that had allowed him to go 9-3 towards the Huge Three of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in the course of the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
The forehand, Thiem mentioned, “by no means got here again prefer it was earlier than.”
He definitely lacks the facility of Shelton, who rode his explosive left-handed serve all the way in which to the 2023 US Open semifinals — which adopted a second-round victory over Thiem.
They shared a pleasant alternate on the web earlier than Shelton inspired to the group to indicate its appreciation for Thiem.
READ: Dominic Thiem survives qualifying and brush with venomous snake
“Clearly I’ve been out right here a pair years now, and he’s type of been out and in enjoying tournaments and never enjoying tournaments,” Shelton mentioned. “So that you hate to see a man like that, such a pleasant man, nice participant, undergo the accidents and cope with all that he’s handled.
“However I feel if I study something from him, it’s that it is a sport that’s unforgiving. Issues can change fast. You will be on the prime of the sport, and your physique doesn’t maintain up or some freak accident occurs. Accidents occur on a regular basis. So tennis isn’t without end. I feel that’s one factor to study and take away. Clearly nonetheless had a profession that lots of people dream about.”
Thiem was introduced with a framed collage of pictures of himself in motion on the U.S. Open.
He mentioned he’ll play two extra occasions earlier than retiring, ending his profession on the ATP’s cease in Vienna in October. Thiem mentioned he’ll keep concerned by some means in tennis, and already has an academy in Austria. And although he mentioned he’s at peace together with his plan to retire, he is aware of there’s part of tennis he received’t be capable of exchange.
“I feel that the factor I’ll miss probably the most is, like, this sense after successful an ideal match. It’s not likely akin to the rest,” Thiem mentioned. “You don’t actually get this sense, I imply, in my case, in life exterior of tennis, as a result of it’s an actual excessive. It’s like being on medication slightly bit, I assume.
“I imply, I do know that in all probability this sense shouldn’t be coming again once more, so that is for positive additionally the one I’m going to overlook probably the most.”
Later Monday, Diego Schwartzman performed his ultimate US Open match, a 6-7 (2), 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 loss to Gael Monfils. Schwartzman performed his manner by qualifying into the principle draw for the eleventh straight yr on the match the place he twice reached the quarterfinals.
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Schwartzman, 32, plans to finish his profession in his native Argentina in February 2025. Simply 5-foot-8, he reached the 2020 French Open semifinals and ended that yr No. 9 within the ATP rankings. He was emotional on the finish of his match earlier than being saluted afterward for his success in New York.
“It’s loopy for me,” Schwartzman mentioned. “Since I’m younger, I by no means dreamed of this. I completed my profession this fashion, it’s very particular and really emotional.”
