Dominic Thiem’s 2020 US Open win was unforgettable, yet it didn’t change his life as he thought it would.
He faces Luciano Darderi at the Vienna Open, possibly marking the end of his tennis journey if he loses. A farewell event in Vienna saw Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer honoring him for his career and character.
Thiem and Alexander Zverev played a friendly match, reminding everyone of their thrilling 2020 US Open final . That match was Thiem’s fourth major final after losing twice to Rafael Nadal at the French Open and once to Djokovic in Australia. He didn’t want to follow Andy Murray’s path of losing four finals before winning one.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| at Dominic Thiem | 31 | 483 | 2 - 4 |
Reflecting on Triumphs and Challenges:
Fans might think it’s surprising that winning such a big title didn’t bring lasting happiness. During the final, Zverev seemed ready to hand Thiem another defeat by taking the first two sets. But against all odds, Thiem turned things around with scores of 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6.
Injuries later slowed down his career; had he lost that day in New York, another Grand Slam chance might never have come. With 17 ATP titles under his belt, Thiem believed a Grand Slam win would bring eternal joy but realized it was just an illusion.
“Honestly,” he shared candidly in an interview with Tennis Majors, “I thought winning a slam would make me happy forever… It’s an illusion.”
Thiem confessed that despite having doubts about not winning a slam during his career, owning the trophy didn’t drastically alter his life. “It’s nice to have,” he said about the trophy at home, “but it’s still only a trophy.”
The realization came quickly; within months after his victory at Flushing Meadows—life returned to normal. What do you think? Would such a win change your life forever?
