Dominic Thiem facts for kids

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Dominic Thiem
Singles
Thiem at the 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters
Country (sports)	Austria
Residence	Lichtenwörth, Austria
Born	(1993-09-03) 3 September 1993 (age 31) Wiener Neustadt, Austria
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Turned pro	2011
Retired	2024
Plays	Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
Coach	Günter Bresnik (2002–2019) Nicolás Massú (2019–2023) Benjamin Ebrahimzadeh (2023–2024) Mate Delić (2024)
Prize money	US$30,333,255 15th all-time in earnings
Official website	dominicthiem.at
Career record	348–215 (61.81%) (61.8%)
Career titles	17
Highest ranking	No. 3 (2 March 2020)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	F (2020)
French Open	F (2018, 2019)
Wimbledon	4R (2017)
US Open	W (2020)
Other tournaments
Tour Finals	F (2019, 2020)
Doubles
Career record	40–78 (33.9%) (33.9%)
Career titles	0
Highest ranking	No. 67 (7 October 2019)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	2R (2016)
French Open	1R (2014, 2015, 2016)
Wimbledon	2R (2014)
US Open	2R (2014, 2016)
Team competitions
Davis Cup	10–6 (62.5%)

Dominic Thiem (born September 3, 1993) is an Austrian former professional tennis player. He was once ranked as high as world No. 3 in singles. This happened in March 2020. Thiem won 17 singles titles on the ATP Tour.

His biggest win was a major title at the 2020 US Open. He made an amazing comeback in the final, winning after being two sets down. He beat Alexander Zverev in that match. Thiem also reached the finals of three other major tournaments: the 2018 and 2019 French Opens, and the 2020 Australian Open. He was also a runner-up at the 2019 and 2020 ATP Finals.

As a junior player, Thiem was ranked world No. 2. He reached the final of the 2011 French Open boys tournament. He also won the 2011 Orange Bowl. Thiem became a professional player in 2011. He entered the top 100 players in the world for the first time in 2014. In 2015, he won his first ATP title. He reached his first major semifinal at the 2016 French Open. This helped him enter the top ten rankings.

Thiem won a big Masters 1000 title at the 2019 Indian Wells Masters. He beat Roger Federer in the final. After that, he reached three more major finals, winning the third one at the 2020 US Open. This win made him the first male player born in the 1990s to win a major singles title. He was also the first Austrian to win the US Open singles title. In 2021, Thiem got a wrist injury. He never fully recovered his top form after that. He decided to retire from the sport after the 2024 Vienna Open.

Thiem was known for hitting the ball very hard. He used a powerful forehand and a single-handed backhand. He was one of the few players to use a one-handed backhand. He also had a strong serve, which could reach speeds of 145 miles per hour. Thiem won the 2020 Austrian Sportsman of the Year award.

Dominic Thiem's Early Life

Dominic Thiem was born in Wiener Neustadt, Austria, on September 3, 1993. His parents, Wolfgang and Karin Thiem, were both tennis coaches. He has a younger brother, Moritz Thiem, who also plays professional tennis. Dominic started playing tennis when he was six years old.

His father, Wolfgang, began working at Günter Bresnik's tennis academy in 1997. Bresnik became Dominic's coach when he was nine. Bresnik suggested that Dominic change his two-handed backhand to a one-handed backhand when he was 12. This change made his junior results a bit lower for about a year.

Junior Tennis Career Highlights

Thiem at the 2011 Wimbledon Championships

Thiem started playing on the International Tennis Federation (ITF) junior circuit in 2008. He became the world No. 2 junior player in January 2011. He won his first junior title in Greece in 2009. He also won a Grade 1 tournament in Colombia in 2010 without losing a set.

In 2011, he reached the final of the 2011 French Open boys' event. He lost a close match in three sets. He then won a tournament on grass. Thiem finished his junior career by winning his last three singles tournaments. This included the Orange Bowl International Tennis Championship in Florida. He had a great junior record, winning 115 matches and losing 33 in singles.

Dominic Thiem's Professional Career

Starting His ATP Journey (2011–2013)

Thiem became a professional player in 2011. He played in smaller tournaments at first. He made his first appearance in a main ATP tournament in Kitzbühel, Austria. In Vienna, he got his first ATP win against Thomas Muster, a former world No. 1. In 2012, he continued to play well in Futures tournaments, winning three titles. In 2013, he reached the quarterfinals of two ATP tournaments in Austria.

Breaking into the Top 100 (2014)

Thiem in 2014

In 2014, Thiem entered the top 100 players in the world. He was the youngest player in the top 50 by the end of the year. He won his first Grand Slam main-draw match at the Australian Open. At the Madrid Open, he had a big win against world No. 3, Stan Wawrinka. At the French Open, he played against the world No. 1, Rafael Nadal, but lost. He reached his first ATP final in Kitzbühel, but lost the match. At the US Open, he made it to the fourth round.

Winning His First Titles (2015)

Thiem had a strong year in 2015. He reached his first Masters 1000 quarterfinals at the Miami Open. He won his first ATP title in Nice, France. He beat Leonardo Mayer in the final. At Wimbledon, he was seeded for the first time at a Grand Slam. He won his first match there. He then won two more titles back-to-back in Croatia and Switzerland. After these wins, Thiem entered the top 20 players in the world.

Reaching a Grand Slam Semifinal (2016)

Dominic Thiem with coach Günter Bresnik, 2016

In 2016, Thiem won four titles. This included his first ATP 500 level title in Acapulco. He reached the semifinals of the French Open for the first time. This was his best Grand Slam result so far. He beat Rafael Nadal in the semifinals of the Argentina Open. He also beat Roger Federer at the Stuttgart Open. By reaching the French Open semifinal, he entered the top ten ATP rankings as world No. 7. He finished the year ranked No. 8.

Breaking into the Top 5 (2017)

Thiem at the 2017 Wimbledon Championships

Thiem continued to improve in 2017. He reached the fourth round in all four Grand Slams. He made it to his second French Open semifinal in a row. He won his eighth ATP title at the Rio Open. He reached his first Masters 1000 final at the Madrid Open, but lost to Rafael Nadal. He then beat Nadal in the quarterfinals of the Rome Masters. He also beat world No. 1 Andy Murray in Barcelona. Thiem broke into the top five rankings for the first time, reaching world No. 4.

First Major Final (2018)

In 2018, Thiem reached his first Grand Slam final at the French Open. He also made it to his first US Open quarterfinal. He won his ninth ATP title in Argentina. In Madrid, he beat Rafael Nadal, ending Nadal's long winning streak on clay. He reached the final there but lost. At the French Open, he beat Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals. He then reached the final, but lost to Rafael Nadal. At the US Open, he played a very long and exciting quarterfinal match against Nadal, lasting almost five hours. He lost in the fifth set.

Winning a Masters 1000 Title (2019)

Thiem at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships

Thiem had a fantastic year in 2019, winning five titles. He won his first ATP Masters 1000 title at the Indian Wells Masters. He beat Roger Federer in the final. He also won his third ATP 500 title in Barcelona, beating Rafael Nadal in the semifinal. At the French Open, he reached his second major final. He beat world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in a five-set semifinal match. However, he lost to Rafael Nadal in the final again. He won his home tournament in Kitzbühel. He also won the China Open and the Vienna Open. At the ATP Finals, he beat Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. He reached the final but lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas.

US Open Champion and World No. 3 (2020)

The 2020 season was a big year for Thiem. At the Australian Open, he reached his first final on hard courts. He beat Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals and Alexander Zverev in the semifinals. He lost a close five-set final to Novak Djokovic. On March 2, Thiem reached his highest ranking of world No. 3.

At the 2020 US Open, Thiem was the second seed. He reached his first US Open final. He beat Alexander Zverev in the final, coming back from two sets down to win. This was his first major title. He became the first male player born in the 1990s to win a major. He was also the first new Grand Slam champion in men's singles since 2014. At the ATP Finals, he beat Stefanos Tsitsipas, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. He reached the final but lost to Daniil Medvedev.

Injury and Comeback (2021–2022)

In 2021, Thiem struggled with his form. He reached the fourth round of the Australian Open, but then lost early in several tournaments. In June, he suffered a right wrist injury at the Mallorca Championships. This injury forced him to stop playing for the rest of 2021.

Thiem returned to professional tennis in March 2022. He lost his first match back. He then tested positive for COVID-19. He struggled to win matches and fell out of the top 300 rankings. However, he slowly started to improve. He got his first ATP win in 14 months at the Swedish Open. He reached two ATP semifinals in 2022. By the end of 2022, he was back in the top 100 players.

Final ATP Final (2023–2024)

Thiem continued his comeback in 2023. He reached his first ATP final in three years at the Austrian Open in Kitzbühel. He saved five match points in the semifinal to reach the final, but lost to Sebastian Baez. This result helped him get back into the top 100.

In 2024, Thiem announced he would retire from tennis after the Vienna Open in October. He played his final Grand Slam at the US Open. He lost his last career match at the Vienna Open.

Dominic Thiem's Rivalries

Thiem vs. Nadal

Dominic Thiem and Rafael Nadal played each other 16 times. Nadal won 10 of those matches. Most of their matches were on clay courts. Thiem was one of only two players to beat Nadal four or more times on clay. They met in the French Open final twice, in 2018 and 2019, with Nadal winning both times.

On hard courts, they had a tied record of 2-2. Their match at the 2018 US Open was very long, lasting almost five hours. Nadal won in a fifth-set tiebreak. Thiem beat Nadal on hard court for the first time at the 2020 Australian Open. Thiem also won their match at the 2020 ATP Finals.

Thiem vs. Djokovic

Thiem and Novak Djokovic played 12 times, with Djokovic winning 7 matches. Djokovic won their first five matches. Thiem got his first win against Djokovic at the 2017 French Open. They had a memorable five-set match at the 2019 French Open semifinals, which Thiem won. Thiem also beat Djokovic at the 2019 ATP Finals. They met in the final of the 2020 Australian Open, where Djokovic won in five sets. Thiem won their semifinal match at the 2020 ATP Finals.

Thiem vs. Federer

Thiem and Roger Federer played 7 times, with Thiem winning 5 matches. Thiem won their first Masters 1000 title match at Indian Wells. He also beat Federer on clay at the Madrid Open. Their last match was at the 2019 ATP Finals, where Thiem won in two sets.

Thiem vs. Zverev

Thiem and Alexander Zverev played 12 times, with Thiem winning 8 matches. Thiem won their first three matches on clay. Zverev won their Masters 1000 final match in Madrid in 2018. Thiem won their quarterfinal match at the French Open. In 2020, they played in a Grand Slam semifinal at the Australian Open, which Thiem won. They also played in the final of the US Open. Thiem won that match in a fifth-set tiebreak, even though he was nervous at the start.

Dominic Thiem's Playing Style

Thiem was an aggressive player who hit the ball hard from the back of the court. He had strong shots with both his forehand and his powerful single-handed backhand. He was one of the few players on the ATP tour to use a one-handed backhand. His coach advised him to change to this style. His backhand was good at handling high balls, which can be tricky for one-handed players.

Thiem used heavy, deep shots to build up points and outlast his opponents. He also had a very strong serve that could reach 145 miles per hour. He often stood far back to return serves, giving him more time to prepare his shots. He also improved his slice backhand.

His playing style, especially his strong groundstrokes and top-spin serves, was very effective on clay courts. The French Open website even called him an "heir to the throne" of clay court tennis. He beat many top clay-court players on this surface, including Rafael Nadal four times. He also beat Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic on clay. People also praised his mental strength, especially in tiebreaks.

Endorsements and Personal Life

Dominic Thiem was sponsored by several big brands. He used Babolat rackets and was the face of their Pure Strike line. Adidas provided his clothing and shoes. He was also a Rolex ambassador and had sponsorships with Kia, Sky Sport, and Tecnogym.

Since 2018, Thiem has been sponsored by Red Bull. He often drank their energy drink on court. He also supports the environment. He has donated money and raised awareness for 4ocean and the WWF. He cares about ocean pollution and has said it's a big problem. He also worked with Adidas on a clothing line made from recycled plastic to help with marine pollution. In 2021, he supported a project to protect bees.

Thiem dated fellow tennis player Kristina Mladenovic from 2017 to 2019. Since October 2020, he has been dating Lili Paul-Roncalli, a circus performer. Thiem loves football and supports Chelsea. He even started his own football club with friends.

Career Statistics

Grand Slam Tournament Finals

Singles: 4 (1 Title, 3 Runners-up)

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	2018	French Open	Clay	Rafael Nadal	4–6, 3–6, 2–6
Loss	2019	French Open	Clay	Rafael Nadal	3–6, 7–5, 1–6, 1–6
Loss	2020	Australian Open	Hard	Novak Djokovic	4–6, 6–4, 6–2, 3–6, 4–6
Win	2020	US Open	Hard	Alexander Zverev	2–6, 4–6, 6–4, 6–3, 7–6^(8–6)

Year-End Championship Finals

Singles: 2 (2 Runners-up)

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	2019	ATP Finals, London	Hard (i)	Stefanos Tsitsipas	7–6^(8–6), 2–6, 6–7^(4–7)
Loss	2020	ATP Finals, London	Hard (i)	Daniil Medvedev	6–4, 6–7^(2–7), 4–6

Images for kids

Thiem at 2016 Erste Bank Open