“I see this as my last chance. If I make it, it can happen quickly,” Dominic Thiem told Austrian outlet Der Standard.
By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Friday, February 2, 2024
The 2024 season can spark a new beginning or signal the beginning of the end for Dominic Thiem.
In a new interview with Austrian outlet Der Standard, Thiem says this is a make or break season for his career.
“I see this as my last chance. If I make it, it can happen quickly,” Thiem told Der Standard earlier this week. “I’ve been back for two years now since the injury, and I finished 2022 on 100 or so and last year on 98.
“If I finish the year on 100 again, you have to think about whether it’s still worth it.”
The 2020 US Open champion has not been the same player since suffering a wrist injury in 2021 that seemed to sap the sting from his once ferocious forehand.
In recent years, Thiem has tried to transition from a power-based baseliner to a more all-court style of play, however his results haven’t rebounded.
The two-time Roland Garros runner-up suffered a tough five-set loss to Felix Auger-Aliassime in the Australian Open first round last month.
The former world No. 3 finished the 2023 season ranked No. 98 after wrapping the 2022 season ranked No. 102.
A frustrated Thiem said if he can’t consistently produce better results and rise higher in the rankings he will consider closing the curtain on a glorious career that has seen him capture 17 titles.
“I’ve been in rankings for two years now that I don’t want to be in,” Thiem said. “Of course that weighs on me.
“I’ve been chasing the feeling of really being able to play tennis in a match again for a long time. And the way I expect myself to.”
Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve
