Dominic Thiem: A look back at his 2019 Vienna title run | ATP Tour

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Victory in Vienna!: A flashback to Thiem’s ​​’dream week’ of 2019 at home

The Austrian won five titles in 2019

October 22, 2024

Nostalgic feelings often arise from memories of home, taking us back to our favorite times – some that feel like yesterday and some that seem like a long time ago. For Dominic Thiem, such fond memories of his native Austria are woven throughout his illustrious 13-year career.

The 31-year-old will bid farewell to professional tennis this week at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna, where she won her first tour-level match as a junior and later lifted the trophy in front of her home fans in 2019. it was an important tournament full of unforgettable moments for Thiem.

Before Thiem won the title, he had never made it past the ATP 500 quarter-finals, but he arrived in Vienna in 2019 having already won four ATP Tour crowns of the year including his first ATP Masters 1000 crown in Indian Wells. If his excellent form created any added pressure to perform in front of his home fans, the top seed handled it flawlessly.

Thiem eased past Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in his opening match and recovered after conceding the opening spot to Fernando Verdasco in the second round, before Pablo Carreno Busta retired at 0-5 to give the Austrian a place in the semi-finals. From there, Thiem battled two Top 15 stars in the semi-finals and finals, winning both matches to become the champion.

He beat Matteo Berrettini 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 in the last four, avenging his Shanghai loss to Italy from two weeks ago.

“The match was at a very high level from the first to the last,” said Thiem. “With all the support and the home advantage, I was able to continue.

Then, a shaky night of sleep. One match will determine whether Thiem can become the biggest tennis player in the Austrian world. He shook off a slow start to win 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 against Diego Schwartzman, with whom he had met earlier that year to reach the double finals in Madrid and Buenos Aires.

At the point of competition, the sound throughout the field could be heard in the middle of the rally. Thiem hit a ferocious forehand that put Schwartzman on the defensive and the crowd already started celebrating what was assured victory.

When Thiem hit a forehand to seal the match, he fell flat on his back, while his adoring fans rose to their feet in unison.

Dominic Thiem celebrates his 2019 Vienna victory.” style=”width:100%;” src=”

Thiem celebrates his 2019 Vienna victory. Photo Credit: Hans Punz/APA/AFP via Getty Images

“I wanted to play my best tennis in this amazing crowd,” said Thiem, the third Austrian to win in Vienna (Horst Skoff in 1988, Jurgen Melzer in 2009-10). “It’s unreal to me. Three times this week I’ve been back. from sitting down… It’s been a dream week.”

The Austrian has recorded five tour-level titles in 2019 alone, including two at home (he also won in Kitzbühel). Thiem, who won Indian Wells that year for what would be his only Masters 1000 crown, and Novak Djokovic were the only players to win five trophies that season.

The win in Vienna was a full-circle moment for Thiem. As an 18-year-old in 2011 who was ranked as World No. 1,890 in the PIF ATP Rankings, he won his first tour title in Vienna against compatriot Thomas Muster, the only Austrian to reach World No. It’s the start of an outstanding career for Thiem, who has won 17 tour-level titles, including the 2020 US Open.

Regarded as one of the best single-handers in the history of the sport, five-time Nitto ATP Finals qualifier Thiem has amassed more than 300 tour-level matches. Celebrating the fifth anniversary of his victory in Vienna this week, Thiem will not soon forget the highlight of his career as he heads into retirement.