Former U.S. Open champion Thiem to retire at the end of the season

LONDON (AP) — Former U.S. Open champion Dominic Thiem plans to retire at the end of the year after struggling to return to his top form following a wrist injury.

“I am going to finish my career with the end of this season,” Thiem said Friday in a video posted on Instagram, calling it a “very sad but also very beautiful message.”

The 30-year-old Austrian player won his only Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows in 2020. His five-set victory over Alexander Zverev made Thiem the first man to overcome a two-set deficit in a U.S. Open final in 71 years.

He was also runner-up at three Grand Slams: the 2018 and 2019 French Opens and the 2020 Australian Open.

He reached a career-high No. 3 ranking in 2020 and stayed in the top five until he injured his right wrist in June 2021, which sidelined him for nine months and has hampered his game ever since.

Thiem said that one reason behind his retirement was that his wrist "is not exactly the way it should be."

“The second reason is my inner feeling," he said. "I was thinking about this decision for a very long time.”

Thiem has won a total of 17 titles.

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis