Dominic Thiem was presented with a photo collage and then disappeared sadly but proudly into the catacombs of the largest tennis arena in the world: the former US Open winner said goodbye to the Grand Slam stage without a chance.
The 30-year-old Austrian, who is ending his career after the season, was clearly defeated by local hero and last year’s semi-finalist Ben Shelton in his first round match on Monday with 4:6, 2:6, 2:6.
“I just want to thank you for all the support. It’s been ten years since I played here for the first time and I had my greatest success on this court,” said Thiem, whose 2020 triumph could only be watched by a few people on site due to the Corona restrictions.
Thiem got the big stage again: in Arthur Ashe Stadium, where he celebrated the greatest success of his career four years ago with a five-set victory in the final against Alexander Zverev, he was allowed to play the first match of this year’s US Open in the arena with a capacity of more than 23,000 spectators. As in previous years, Thiem did not reach his previous world-class level on Monday.
After a serious wrist injury in 2021, Thiem had to take a long break and was no longer able to catch up with the top. The two-time French Open finalist was there in New York thanks to a wildcard.
Source: www.sport.de
