Dominic Thiem has offered fans a sneak peek into his training session as he prepares for his final appearance at the 2024 French Open. The two-time finalist, who is concluding his illustrious 13-year career at the end of this season, faced disappointment when organizers denied him a wild card entry on Tuesday, May 14.
The former World No. 3 will face Italy’s Franco Agamenone in the first-round qualifiers on Monday, May 20. Should Thiem defeat Agamenone, he will face the winner between Dane Sweeny and Otto Virtanen in the second qualifying round.
On Sunday, Thiem posted a couple of photos from his training session ahead of his 11th appearance at the French Open. It was a family affair as Thiem was seen training with his younger brother Moritz Thiem while his father, Wolfgang Thiem, looked on.
“Paris, @rolandgarros Fr. One last dance!” – Thiem captioned the post
Thiem boasts an impressive track record at the French Open, having reached the final twice in 2018 and 2019, only to be bested by the 14-time champion Rafael Nadal. he also reached the semi-final twice in 2016 and 2017. However, since 2021, Thiem hasn’t progressed past the first round of the tournament.
Dominic Thiem on his end-of-season retirement – “My wrist is not exactly the way it should be”
Dominic Thiem cited wrist injuries as a major factor influencing his retirement. The 30-year-old announced his decision on May 10th in a video posted to his Instagram stating that persistent wrist issues and a personal feeling of the timing being right led to this choice.
“There are some reasons behind it. Firstly my wrist is not exactly the way it should be and it is not exactly the way how I want it and the second reason is my inner feeling. I was thinking about this decision. I was thinking about this decision for a very long time. I was thinking very carefully about it. I was thinking about the whole journey as a tennis player which was incredible. I have had success, I have won trophies I never dreamt of. The journey was incredible, all the ups and downs.” Thiem said.
Thiem has won 17 ATP titles and has secured at least five victories against Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. He has battled wrist injuries since winning the US Open in 2020. This season, he has won six matches and lost eight, and he is currently ranked No. 117 on the ATP Tour.
