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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 by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). Thiem won 17 singles titles on the ATP Tour. This includes a major championship at the 2020 US Open.

He also finished as a runner-up at three other major tournaments. These were the 2018 and 2019 French Opens, and the 2020 Australian Open. Thiem 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. He became a professional player in 2011. In 2014, he entered the top 100 players for the first time.

In 2015, Thiem won his first ATP title. This was at the Open de Nice Côte d'Azur. He reached his first major semifinal at the 2016 French Open. This achievement helped him enter the top ten in the ATP rankings. He then reached his first Masters 1000 final in 2017 at the Madrid Open. The next year, he played in his first major final.

Thiem won a Masters 1000 title at the 2019 Indian Wells Masters. He beat Roger Federer in the final. He then reached three more major finals, winning the third at the 2020 US Open. With that win, Thiem became 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 suffered a wrist injury. He never fully recovered from it. He retired from the sport after the 2024 Vienna Open.

Thiem was known for his powerful groundstrokes. He hit the ball hard with both his forehand and his single-handed backhand. He was mainly a baseline player. He also added variety to his game with a sliced backhand and more net play. This happened after he started working with coach Nicolás Massú in 2019. He had a strong serve that could reach up to 233 km/h (145 mph). Thiem is the last player with a one-handed backhand to win a major singles title. He won the Austrian Sportsman of the Year award in 2020.

Early Life and Tennis Beginnings

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

His father, Wolfgang, began coaching at Günter Bresnik's academy in Vienna in 1997. Bresnik became Dominic's official coach when Dominic was nine. Bresnik suggested that Thiem change his two-handed backhand to a one-handed backhand when he was 12. Bresnik said that Thiem's junior results dropped for about a year while he learned the new stroke. Thiem also had health problems when he was 17. He said this was because he grew 16 cm (6.3 inches) that year.

Junior Tennis Career

Thiem at the 2011 Wimbledon Championships

Thiem played his first event on the International Tennis Federation (ITF) junior circuit in early 2008. He was 14 years old. He reached a junior ranking of world No. 2 in January 2011. He didn't play many events in 2008 but had a busier schedule in 2009. He won his first junior title at the Preveza Cup in Greece. He then won another title in 2009 at the Grawe Junior Cup in Croatia.

In 2010, Thiem won his first Grade 1 tournament in Colombia. He won without losing a single set. He also won titles in Peru and Italy. He played in the 2010 French Open Junior Championships and the US Open Junior Championships, but lost in the first round of both. He then won two more tournaments back to back.

In 2011, Thiem reached the second round at the Australian Open Junior Championships. In May, he made it to the final of the 2011 French Open boys' event. He lost a close match in three sets. He then won the Gerry Weber Junior Open, a grass court tournament. He finished his junior career by winning his last three singles tournaments. This included the Orange Bowl International Tennis Championship in Florida.

Thiem ended his junior career with 115 wins and 33 losses in singles. He also had 49 wins and 32 losses in doubles. He beat many future tennis stars during his junior career.

Professional Tennis Journey

Starting Out (2011–2013)

Thiem became a professional player in 2011. He mostly played in smaller tournaments called ITF Futures events. He also played in his first ATP main draw tournaments in Austria and Thailand. In Vienna, Thiem got his first ATP win against Thomas Muster. Muster was a former world No. 1 player.

In 2012, Thiem continued to play mostly Futures events. He won three titles. He also played in Vienna again, winning one match. In 2013, Thiem played in Futures and ATP Challengers. He reached the quarterfinals at two home events in Austria.

Breaking Through (2014)

Thiem in 2014

In 2014, Thiem entered the top 100 players for the first time. He was the youngest player to finish the year in the top 50. He started the year ranked 137. He often had to play qualifying rounds to get into ATP tournaments. At the Australian Open, he won his first main-draw match at a Grand Slam.

At the Madrid Open, Thiem had his biggest win yet. He defeated world No. 3, Stan Wawrinka. At the French Open, he played against world No. 1 Rafael Nadal. He lost in straight sets. After Wimbledon, Thiem reached his first ATP final at the Austrian Open Kitzbühel. He lost to David Goffin. At his first US Open, Thiem reached the fourth round. He finished 2014 ranked 39.

Winning Titles (2015)

Thiem started 2015 slowly. However, he reached his first Masters 1000 quarterfinals at the Miami Open. He won his first career ATP Tour title in Nice, France. He beat Leonardo Mayer in a close final.

Thiem at the 2015 Wimbledon Championships

At the Wimbledon Championships, Thiem was seeded for the first time at a Grand Slam. He won his first match there. After Wimbledon, he won his second ATP title at the Croatia Open Umag. A week later, he won his third title at the Swiss Open Gstaad. This was the first time he won two tournaments in a row. After these wins, Thiem entered the top 20 players.

Top 10 Debut (2016)

In 2016, Thiem won four titles. This included his first ATP 500 level title in Acapulco. He also reached the French Open semifinals for the first time. He started the year with a semifinal in Brisbane. He then upset world No. 5 Rafael Nadal in the semifinals of the Argentina Open. Thiem went on to win the title.

Dominic Thiem with coach Günter Bresnik, 2016

He won the Mexican Open in Acapulco, his first hard court title. In April, he reached the final in Munich. In Nice, Thiem successfully defended his title. At the French Open, Thiem reached his first major semifinal. He lost to Novak Djokovic. By reaching this semifinal, he entered the top ten ATP rankings as world No. 7.

Thiem at 2016 Erste Bank Open

In June, Thiem won his first grass court tournament at the Stuttgart Open. He became one of few players to win titles on three different surfaces in the same year. At the US Open, Thiem reached the fourth round but had to stop playing due to a knee injury. Thiem qualified for the ATP Finals for the first time. He finished the year ranked No. 8.

Reaching World No. 4 (2017)

Thiem improved his Grand Slam results in 2017. He reached the fourth round in all four major tournaments. He also reached his second straight semifinal at the French Open. He started the year in Brisbane and Sydney. At the Australian Open, he reached the fourth round.

Thiem won his first title of the year at the Rio Open. This was his eighth ATP title. At the Indian Wells Masters, he reached the quarterfinals. He then made his 12th ATP Tour final in Barcelona, losing to Rafael Nadal. On the way, he beat world No. 1 Andy Murray. At the Madrid Open, Thiem reached his first Masters 1000 final against Rafael Nadal. He lost but showed improvement.

Thiem at the 2017 Wimbledon Championships

Thiem defeated Nadal in the quarterfinals of the Rome Masters 1000. He then lost to Novak Djokovic in the semifinals. At the French Open, Thiem reached the semifinal without losing a set. He beat defending champion Novak Djokovic. He then lost to Rafael Nadal. At Wimbledon, he reached the fourth round for the first time.

At the US Open, Thiem made it to the fourth round. He lost a close five-set match to Juan Martín del Potro. Thiem qualified for the ATP Finals for the second year. He 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 reached his first US Open quarterfinal. He reached a second Masters 1000 final in Madrid. He started his season in Qatar. At the Australian Open, he lost in the fourth round.

In February, Thiem won his ninth ATP Tour title at the Argentina Open. In Madrid, he beat Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals. This ended Nadal's long winning streak on clay. Thiem then reached the final but lost. He won his 10th ATP title in Lyon. At the French Open, Thiem reached his third straight semifinal. He then won to reach his first Grand Slam final. He lost to Rafael Nadal.

At the US Open, Thiem reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal on hard court. He played a very long and close match against Rafael Nadal. Nadal won in five sets after almost five hours of play. Later that month, Thiem won a title at the St Petersburg Open. He reached the semifinals at the Paris Masters. At the ATP Finals, Thiem was eliminated in the group stage. He finished 2018 ranked world No. 8.

Masters 1000 Title and ATP Finals Runner-up (2019)

Thiem won five titles in 2019, tying with Novak Djokovic for the most on Tour. He started the season in Qatar and Australia. At the Indian Wells Masters, he won his first ATP Masters 1000 title. He beat Roger Federer in the final. This win brought him back to his career-best ranking of world No. 4.

At the Barcelona Open, he won his third ATP 500 title. He beat Rafael Nadal in the semifinal. Just before the French Open, Thiem stopped working with his long-time coach, Günter Bresnik. Thiem reached his fourth straight semifinal at the French Open. He beat world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in a five-set match. In the final, he again faced Rafael Nadal and lost.

Thiem at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships

At Wimbledon, Thiem lost in the first round. The following week, he won his 14th career title in Kitzbühel. At the US Open, he lost in the first round. At the China Open, Thiem won his first title in Asia. He beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final. He then won his home tournament, the Vienna Open.

At the ATP Finals, Thiem beat Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. He reached the final but lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas.

US Open Champion and World No. 3 (2020)

Thiem at the 2020 Australian Open

In 2020, Thiem had his best results at Grand Slam tournaments. He started the year at the ATP Cup. At the Australian Open, Thiem reached his first quarterfinals there. He beat world No. 1 Rafael Nadal in four sets. He then beat Alexander Zverev to reach his first Grand Slam final on hard courts. In the final, Thiem lost to defending champion Novak Djokovic in five sets.

On March 2, Thiem reached a new career-high ranking of world No. 3. The ATP Tour was then paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thiem played in several exhibition events during this time. When the tour restarted, Thiem played at the Cincinnati Masters.

Thiem was the second seed at the 2020 US Open. He beat Marin Čilić, Félix Auger-Aliassime, and Alex de Minaur. In the semifinals, he defeated Daniil Medvedev to reach his first US Open final. He beat Alexander Zverev in the final to win his first major title. He became the first player since 2004 to win a Grand Slam final after losing the first two sets. Thiem was the first male player born in the 1990s to win a major title.

At the French Open, Thiem reached the quarterfinals. He lost a long five-set match to Diego Schwartzman. At the Vienna Open, he lost in the quarterfinals.

At the ATP Finals, Thiem beat Stefanos Tsitsipas and Rafael Nadal. He then beat Novak Djokovic in the semifinals. This was his 300th match win. He lost the final to Daniil Medvedev. Thiem was awarded the Austrian Sportsman of the Year award for his great year.

Injury and Comeback (2021–2023)

Thiem started 2021 at the ATP Cup. At the Australian Open, he reached the fourth round. He then played in Doha and Dubai. After these losses, Thiem took a break to recover from a knee injury.

His first tournament back was the Madrid Open, where he reached the semifinals. At the French Open, Thiem lost in the first round. In June, Thiem withdrew from the Tokyo Olympics. At the Mallorca Championships, Thiem suffered a right wrist injury. This forced him to stop playing and withdraw from Wimbledon. In August, Thiem announced he would miss the rest of the 2021 season due to his wrist injury.

Thiem missed the Australian Open and other early 2022 tournaments due to recovery. He returned to professional tennis at the Marbella Challenger in March. He lost his first match. After this, Thiem tested positive for COVID-19. He fell out of the top 150 rankings. At the French Open, he lost in the first round and fell out of the top 300.

Thiem got his first win in 14 months at the Salzburg Open. He then got his first ATP win a week later at the Swedish Open. He reached his first ATP Tour level semifinal since 2021 at the Swiss Open Gstaad. He also reached the quarterfinals at his home tournament in Kitzbühel. At the US Open, he lost in the first round. He reached the semifinals at the Gijón Open and the European Open. He returned to the top 100 rankings by the end of 2022.

In 2023, Thiem started the season in Australia. He lost in the first round of the Australian Open. He struggled with form early in the year. At the Estoril Open, he reached the quarterfinals. He also reached the quarterfinals at the Bavarian International Tennis Championships. At the Wimbledon Championships, he lost in a close five-set match.

At the Austrian Open in Kitzbühel, Thiem reached his first tour-level final since 2020. He saved five match points in the semifinal. He lost in the final. This performance helped him move back into the top 100. He retired from his match at the US Open and lost in the first round at the Vienna Open. He finished 2023 playing in Paris and Metz.

Final Year in Tennis (2024)

In 2024, Thiem played in Brisbane, losing to Rafael Nadal. He then played in Melbourne, losing a long five-set match at the Australian Open. In January, Thiem separated from his coach.

In February, Thiem played for Austria in the Davis Cup. He then played in the UTS Tour. In March, he played at the ATP Challenger level. In April, he tried to qualify for Monte Carlo and Madrid but lost. He got his first ATP Tour-level win of the season in Estoril.

In May, Thiem announced he would retire after the Vienna Open in October. He made his final appearance at Roland Garros in the qualifying rounds. In the grass season, he played in Mallorca. He lost in the first round. Thiem skipped Wimbledon. He played in Gstaad and Kitzbühel. He received a tribute celebration in Kitzbühel.

At the US Open, Thiem played his final Grand Slam tournament. He lost in the first round. In his very last career match, Thiem played at the Vienna Open, where he lost in straight sets.

Key Rivalries

Dominic Thiem had exciting rivalries with some of the top players in tennis.

Thiem vs. Nadal

Thiem and Rafael Nadal played each other 16 times. Nadal won 10 matches, and Thiem won 6. Most of their matches were on clay courts. Thiem beat Nadal on clay four times, which is a rare achievement. They played in two French Open finals, in 2018 and 2019, with Nadal winning both.

On hard courts, they had a tied record of 2 wins each. One of their closest matches was a nearly five-hour quarterfinal at the 2018 US Open. Nadal won that match 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. In 2024, they played in Brisbane, with Nadal winning.

Thiem vs. Djokovic

Thiem and Novak Djokovic played 12 times. Djokovic won 7 matches, and Thiem won 5. Djokovic won their first five matches. Thiem got his first win against Djokovic at the 2017 French Open quarterfinals. They had another memorable match at the 2019 French Open semifinals. Thiem won in five sets over two days.

Thiem also beat Djokovic at the 2019 ATP Finals. They met in the final of the 2020 Australian Open, where Djokovic won a five-set match. 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. They split their first four matches. In 2019, they played three times. Thiem beat Federer in the final of Indian Wells to win his first Masters 1000 title. Thiem also won their matches at the 2019 Madrid Open and the 2019 ATP Finals.

Thiem vs. Zverev

Thiem and Alexander Zverev played 12 times, with Thiem leading 8 wins to 4 losses. Thiem won their first three matches. Zverev won their Masters 1000 final match in Madrid in 2018. Thiem won their French Open quarterfinal in 2018.

In 2020, they played on big stages. Thiem won their Grand Slam semifinal at the Australian Open. They also played in the US Open final. Thiem won that match in a fifth-set tiebreak, even after losing the first two sets. Zverev defeated Thiem in the semifinals of the 2021 Madrid Open. Their most recent match was at the 2023 Halle Open, where Zverev won.

Playing Style

Dominic Thiem was known for his aggressive style of play from the baseline. He had strong groundstrokes, especially a powerful forehand and a tough single-handed backhand. He was one of the few top players to use a one-handed backhand. His backhand was good at handling high balls, which can be tricky for one-handed players.

Thiem often used heavy, deep shots to build up points and outlast his opponents. He had a long swing on his shots, and the spin he put on the ball helped him attack and defend well. Thiem also had a strong serve, which could reach speeds of 233 km/h (145 mph). He often stood far back to return serves, giving him more time to prepare his shots. He also improved his slice backhand, which was important on hard courts.

His playing style was very effective on clay courts. The Roland Garros website even called him an "heir to the throne" on clay. He beat many top clay-court players, including Rafael Nadal four times on clay. He also beat Stan Wawrinka, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic on clay. His mental strength was also praised, especially in tiebreaks.

Sponsors and Personal Life

Thiem was represented by Herwig Straka since 2019. He used Babolat rackets and was the face of their Pure Strike line. Adidas was his sponsor for clothing and shoes. Thiem was also a Rolex Testimonee. He 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 took part in their charity event. Thiem was a brand ambassador for Bank Austria. In 2020, he became an ambassador for Duravit, a bathroom company. In 2021, he partnered with Neoh, a protein bar company.

Thiem dated fellow tennis player Kristina Mladenovic from 2017 to 2019. Since October 2020, he has been dating Lili Paul-Roncalli.

Thiem is a big fan of football and supports Chelsea. He started his own football club in 2016 with friends. They play charity games a few times a year. Thiem cares about the environment. He supports 4ocean and the WWF to fight plastic pollution in the ocean. He also participated in Adidas' campaign using clothing made from recycled plastic. In 2021, Thiem was part of a campaign to protect bees.