Dominic Thiem officially retired from professional tennis in 2024. However, that has not stopped him from agreeing to participate in an event during the off-season.
Thiem has never been the same player since injuring his wrist at the 2021 Mallorca Championships. That physical issue led to a lengthy period on the sidelines, but he could not recover from the problem after returning.
After a few years of playing at a reduced level, the Austrian announced in May of this year that he would retire on home soil at October's Vienna Open because he was no longer satisfied with his level.
Thiem's final professional match in Vienna was against Luciano Darderi. After a competitive and high-quality opening set, the 31-year-old lost 2-6, 6-7. He received a deserved and memorable ovation afterward.
Although the last few years were challenging, Thiem should not be remembered for that period of his career because there are so many great examples of the former world No. 3's incredible performances.
The most significant moment for Thiem came at the 2020 US Open. Played in front of an empty stadium due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he recovered from two sets behind to triumph in the final against Alexander Zverev.
Despite being a fantastic moment for which he is grateful, Thiem admitted it did not change his life in the way he expected. Life returned to normal soon after, and he encouraged those who did not or have yet to win a Grand Slam not to worry about if they gave it their best.
Other achievements throughout Thiem's career include beating Roger Federer in the 2019 Indian Wells Open final, reaching two French Open finals, narrowly losing the 2020 Australian Open final to Novak Djokovic, and twice being the runner-up at the ATP Finals.
Thiem's level is not what it once was, but fans at the Open de Caen were still undoubtedly excited by the news of the former US Open champion's participation at the exhibition in December.
French tennis legend Richard Gasquet, Paris Masters runner-up Ugo Humbert, Cameron Norrie, and Alexandre Muller are the other players who will compete at the event in December.
Thiem's first match will be against Gasquet on December 9th, who will retire at the 2025 French Open after a lengthy and excellent career that included two Wimbledon semifinals and three Masters 1000 finals.
The matchup between Thiem and Gasquet will feature a battle between two of the best one-handed backhands in tennis history. It is debatable which man was superior off that wing in their primes or now at the end of their careers.
Thiem possesses slightly more firepower, but Gasquet is better at finding angles on the court due to its heavy spin, and the 38-year-old also defends better off that side due to the effective defensive slice he uses.
Although Thiem's overall game in his prime was better than Gasquet's due to having a significantly better serve and forehand, the Frenchman's backhand is probably more complete than the Austrian's, allowing him to compensate for weaknesses in other areas.