Dominic Thiem called time on his playing career last year after a brilliant time playing professional tennis.
Thiem did retire with some regrets, but any player who gets over the line and wins a Grand Slam title can look back with some fondness.
Thiem was successful at the 2020 US Open, grasping his opportunity after beating Alexander Zverev in the final, Daniil Medvedev in the semifinal and Alex de Minaur in the quarterfinal.
The right-handed player reached number three in the world rankings, and Roger Federer was always a big fan of the Austrian player’s potential.
Photo by Rob Tringali/Sportschrome/Getty ImagesWhat Roger Federer predicted about Dominic Thiem in 2017
During the US Open in 2017, it seemed like Federer would set up a quarterfinal date with Thiem at Flushing Meadows.
The legendary Swiss performer stayed true to his word and defeated Philipp Kohlschreiber, but Thiem was beaten – in surprising fashion at the time – by Juan Martin del Potro.
In his post-match press conference, Federer was asked to say something about Thiem, and it’s clear that the 20-time Grand Slam winner saw the potential.
He said: “Sweet guy. Really honest. Lovely to be around with. Hard working. Super hard working. He goes into the Rafa demographic, where, between matches, they just go really hard. I’m not like that, so I admire those guys who put their heads down and work this hard.
“Yeah, I love his backhand. Played him a few times. Got great power in both wings. He’s a power player that we have in the game. Yeah, he’s going to be around for a long time. He’s going to install himself in the top 10 easily, in my opinion, for the next 10 years. I’m sure he’s going to create a lot of chances to win the biggest tournaments in the game.”
Dominic Thiem came close to more Grand Slam success
Thiem was a vastly underrated player, and it’s no surprise he wowed Federer during his career.
With a little bit more luck, he might have become a serial Grand Slam winner, reaching finals at the French Open in 2018 and 2019, losing on both occasions to Rafael Nadal, and he also made the 2020 Australian Open final.
Thiem managed 17 career titles, though, and as a former number three in world tennis, he can look back on a fond career.
Although Thiem never managed to win more than one Grand Slam, he was the sort of player who mixed it with the top guys and maintained a lofty position in the rankings across a number of years.