“I've already finished a certain part.”

She presents herself as completely relaxed, laid back and almost always with a smile on her face. Dominic Thiem On his farewell tour in Kitzbühel. It actually seems as if this statement about the end of his career has stirred something inside him. In the run-up to the Generali Open, the 17-time ATP Tour winner had stressed that “I will give everything for the fans. I want to enjoy every second, play a good game and hopefully Tuesday will not be my last match.” He can't yet estimate when he will let his emotions out.

This is his 12th appearance now, having already played 36 matches in Gamstadt. It's an incredible journey, but also his last and most intense one. “My first ATP points were something very special here. I'll never forget that day. But the highlight was winning in 2019.”

According to Thiem, reaching the final last year was the cherry on the cake. “It was unexpected, but maybe there will be a second chance at the top this year, as of now, it will be the third and penultimate tournament for a player who has reached the final of the French Open twice.”

“I have achieved more than I ever dreamed of.”

In May, the 2020 US Open champion announced the impending end of his career as news that was both important, sad and beautiful. “This wasn’t a decision I made from day to day, it was a carefully considered decision. I call it a process that I’ve been able to get used to.

It's no secret that the 30-year-old has been the target of plenty of criticism in the past two or three years – especially after defeats, and sometimes the abusive comments don't take long to trickle in. In this regard, it's been made clear that there is no shortage of self-reflection and a desire to change.

After his return, the former world number three perhaps explained that “the criticism was completely justified in terms of the way I played and how I presented myself at times, but anyway, one cannot live in the past for too long.” Condition. The Lichtenwörther native does not regret not having had surgery on his wrist in the end. He will not disappear like a ghost anyway, “because I will not be able to do anything better than play tennis and we want to pass that on.”

Offner-Neumayer Duel

Before tomorrow night's session, Youngster demands Luke Neumayer Austria is number one now Sebastian OffnerThe Styrian player recently suffered from heel problems again, but he is in a positive mood. “My performance level is between 85 and 90 percent,” says Uwe, for whom another operation would be an absolute last resort.