Dominic Thiem's Grand Slam career came to a halt on Monday in Arthur Ashe Stadium, but the legacy he leaves behind will make him a part of the fabric of the Flushing fortnight for eternity.
In New York, where he won his lone major title in 2020, Thiem had us at hello.
The ingratiating smile, the soft-spoken humility, all juxtaposed with one of the most menacing, mind-bending baseline games of his generation became a reliable fixture in Queens over the last decade. Those who sat courtside and witnessed Thiem put every ounce of his being into driving a tennis ball across the net can consider themselves among the initiated: to watch Thiem in his prime was to experience a brand of on-court physicality that has perhaps been bested only by Rafael Nadal this century.
Thiem's "beast mode" was on display when the Austrian made his US Open debut in 2014 and reached the second week at a major for the first time. From that moment, he was an honorary New Yorker.
"I think everything came from the start, from the first year I played here," Thiem told reporters after the conclusion of his final US Open match, a 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 loss at the hands of 13th-seeded American Ben Shelton. "I came through for the first time in the second week of a Slam. From that moment on I always had a lot of confidence when I came here."
Thiem plans to play two more events this autumn before saying goodbye to professional tennis for good, but Monday marked the end of a stunning career in majors that reached its pinnacle in 2020 when he became the first player in US Open history to win a final from two sets down.
"I achieved a life goal and a dream I had for many, many years," he said at the time, after edging Alexander Zverev in a dramatic final. "It was tough to stay there and to still believe, but I did."
The 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(6) triumph for the 2020 title tilt marked the pinnacle of Thiem's career, but it wasn't his only moment of brilliance. The Austrian reached No. 3 in the ATP rankings, claimed 17 titles overall and reached another three major finals—one in Australia in 2020 and two at the French Open, in 2018 and 2019.
Starting with his maiden major final at Roland Garros in 2018, Thiem made a beeline to the top of the sport that saw him reach four major finals in the span of ten majors played. He also went toe-to-toe with the fabled Big Three, earning five wins over Novak Djokovic (5-7), six over Rafael Nadal (6-10), and five over Roger Federer (5-2). That 16-19 overall record against three of the greatest to ever pick up a racquet might say more about Thiem's capacities than anything else.
Here at the Open, it wasn't only the 2020 title that made Thiem a legend. He was a fixture in the second week, compiling a 23-9 overall record that included a trip to the quarterfinals in 2018, as well as fourth-round runs in 2014, 2016, and 2017. Along the way he played some of the most epic matches that the men's tournament has seen in the last 10 years.
His 1-6, 2-6, 6-1, 7-6,(1) 6-4 loss to Juan Martin del Potro in the Round of 16 in 2017 was a magnetic Labor Day encounter between two US Open champions that passes the test of time. Though the loss was painful, Thiem counts it among one of his best memories in Flushing Meadows.
"2017 against Delpo was back then a really tough loss to handle, but now, it's a legendary match, which I really like to remember," Thiem told reporters on Monday.
Then there was the five-set quarterfinal marathon with Rafael Nadal in 2018—a thriller in Arthur Ashe Stadium that produced tennis from another dimension. Thiem lost the four-hour-and-49-minute cliffhanger, which ended at 2:04 A.M., but displayed his usual class after the battle.
"It's going to be stuck in my mind forever," he said. "For sure. It's cruel sometimes, tennis, because I think this match didn't really deserve a loser. But there has to be one."
The clouds would clear and the heartbreak would dissipate in 2020, when Thiem climbed the mountain and raised the trophy in New York.
"Of course the epic match with Rafa was great," Thiem said. "But still, I mean, 2020 is above everything and is also above everything else in my tennis career."
Sadly, Thiem's career was cut short by a wrist injury that first reared its ugly head in 2021. He put up a valiant effort over the last two and a half years, but never was able to regain the form that made him a shapeshifting force of nature in his prime.
Not to worry: joy is the prevailing sentiment. Thiem made peace with his decision to end his career earlier this year.
"I'm happy," the 30-year-old said. "It's like I was struggling enough the last years, especially since I was not able to come back to my level. Once I took the decision this year in March, from that moment on, I was happy about it."
