GOOD NEWS :Roger Federer & Rafael Nadal send heartfelt tributes to Dominic Thiem after his retirement

Dominic Thiem has retired from tennis after playing the final match of his illustrious career at his home tournament in Vienna.

The 2020 US Open champion was beaten 7-6(6), 6-2 by world No 42 Luciano Darderi in the opening round of the Vienna Open on Tuesday.

Thiem, a former world No 3, had not played since his opening round US Open loss to Ben Shelton in August.

The 31-year-old said: “I’ve had so many nice goodbyes in the last few months, but today I want to say thank you for all the sensational years.

“I am only a part of this career. The whole journey has been an absolute dream and I want this afternoon, this evening to be yours. I couldn’t have imagined it any better. Thank you.

In an on-court speech, Thiem added: “Those emotions, those feelings. Being in the flow, like I was in the first set. These are the things that will never come back.

“It hurts. But at the same time I was playing some forehands, especially in the second set, and they were not even coming to the net. So it was the right decision.”

Dominic Thiem News

Thiem then wrote on X: “What a night! I would like to sincerely thank everyone who joined me for my farewell last night!

“It means the world to me that you all came to share this special moment with me.”

Following his retirement, Thiem has received warm messages from a host of his former rivals, including Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Federer, who Thiem beat five times in seven matches, wrote on Instagram: “An illustrious career comes to a close. Congratulations Domi.

“No matter the surface, you always found a way to beat me with your thunderous backhands But more importantly, you did it with grace and sportsmanship.”

Nadal, who has a 10-6 record against Thiem, thanked the Austrian in German on his Instagram story: “Danke Domi.”

Alexander Zverev, a friend and rival to Thiem, penned a heartfelt tribute on Instagram.Everyone’s tennis career will unfortunately come to an end sooner or later. But the people you meet and friendships you build will hopefully last a lifetime,” said the German.

“Thank you @domithiem for the toughest battles I have ever had on court. Thank you for the most unforgettable moments we were able to share outside the court.

“Thank you for showing that a true friendship is possible even while being one of the biggest rivals. This isn’t a goodbye. This is a see you soon my friend.”

On X, Stefanos Tsitsipas wrote: “I’m sad to see you retire this soon, but I’m going to cherish our battles and our fun times on and off the court.

“Playing an exhibition match with you in Austria in 2018 remains a fond memory. Thank you for holding the one-handed backhand flag so high