Austria’s Dominic Thiem serves to US’ Ben Shelton through the first spherical of the U.S. Open tennis championships, on August 26, 2024.
| Photograph Credit score: AP
Dominic Thiem by no means heard the unmistakable sounds of the New York crowd when he received the U.S. Open for his lone Grand Slam title.
Arthur Ashe Stadium was almost empty for his historic comeback on that 2020 evening, the COVID-19 pandemic forcing the event to be performed with out followers.
So despite the fact that his Grand Slam profession ended Monday (August 26, 2024) with a 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 first-round loss to No. 13 seed Ben Shelton, Thiem mentioned the match was an vital 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.
“To say thanks to all of you,” Thiem advised 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 in recent times and had beforehand introduced this is able to be his last season. He was given a wild card by the U.S. Tennis Affiliation into the event for what turned simply his tenth match of the season.
Thiem beat Alexander Zverev within the 2020 last, successful a fifth-set tiebreaker to change into the primary man to win the U.S. Open after shedding the primary two units since 1949. That was already Thiem’s fourth Grand Slam last and there was no purpose to suppose there would not be extra.
The Austrian had reached No. 3 within the ATP rankings that March after attending to the Australian Open last, and the 12 months 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 might by no means regain the shape or the power on his forehand that had allowed him to go 9-3 in opposition to the Large Three of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal through the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
The forehand, Thiem mentioned, “by no means got here again prefer it was earlier than.” He actually lacks the ability of Shelton, who rode his explosive left-handed serve all the best way to the 2023 U.S. Open semifinals — which adopted a second-round victory over Thiem.
They shared a pleasant alternate on the web earlier than Shelton inspired to the gang to indicate its appreciation for Thiem.
“Clearly I’ve been out right here a pair years now, and he is sort of been out and in taking part in tournaments and never taking part in tournaments,” Shelton mentioned. “So that you hate to see a man like that, such a pleasant man, nice participant, undergo the accidents and take care of all that he is handled.
“However I believe if I study something from him, it is that it is a sport that’s unforgiving. Issues can change fast. You could be on the prime of the sport, and your physique would not maintain up or some freak accident occurs. Accidents occur on a regular basis. So tennis is not without end. I believe that is 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 photographs 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 one way or the other in tennis, and already has an academy in Austria. And although he mentioned he is at peace together with his plan to retire, he is aware of there’s part of tennis he will not have the ability to change.
“I believe that the factor I’ll miss essentially the most is, like, this sense after successful a fantastic match. It is not likely akin to the rest,” Thiem mentioned. “You do not actually get this sense, I imply, in my case, in life exterior of tennis, as a result of it is an actual excessive. It is like being on medicine a bit bit, I suppose.
“I imply, I do know that in all probability this sense shouldn’t be coming again once more, so that is for certain additionally the one I will miss essentially the most.” Later Monday, Diego Schwartzman performed his last U.S. Open match, a 6-7 (2), 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 loss to Gael Monfils. Schwartzman performed his means by qualifying into the primary draw for the eleventh straight 12 months on the event the place he twice reached the quarterfinals.
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 12 months 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 is loopy for me,” Schwartzman mentioned. “Since I am younger, I by no means dreamed of this. I completed my profession this manner, it is very particular and really emotional.” (AP) PDS PDS
