The big farewell party for Dominic Thiem kicked off at 7 pm with a “re-run” of the legendary 2020 US Open final. The winner ended up being the same: Dominic Thiem took the set against Zverev 6:3. The biggest difference: the fans! While the match was played in front of empty stands in New York in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, this time they were full to bursting in Vienna's Stadthalle. Even - or perhaps precisely because things weren't deadly serious on court, the atmosphere in the hall was fantastic and both players received a standing ovation at the end.

Becker, Schlierenzauer & Co on the court

But the show was far from over. This was followed by a “One Shot Cup”, in which only one point was played at a time. Participants included friends and companions such as Boris Becker, Tommy Haas, Frances Tiafoe, Nicolas Massu, Gregor Schlierenzauer and Jack Draper. The victory ultimately also went to the Brit Draper.

Tribute, trophy and Confetti shower

This was followed by the award ceremony and a review of Thiem's long and successful career. Video clips of all the important stages in Thiem's professional career were shown, including clips of his matches against Thomas Muster in 2011, his first tournament victory in Nice in 2015 and his long-awaited triumph at the Erste Bank Open in 2019. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic also took the opportunity to wish Thiem all the best via video. Afterwards, Thiem received a special farewell trophy from Tournament Director Herwig Straka and was honored one last time - as in 2019 - with a shower of confetti.

“It's been an incredible journey,” said a moved Thiem and then addressed his guests: ”You were the most important people - opponents and friends - and it was always a pleasure to be with you. It means so much to me that you were here today.” Thiem then thanked the audience: “I couldn't have imagined a better last Sunday in Vienna. I hope to see many of you again on Tuesday. It hurts incredibly that the journey is over, but it was a wonderful time.” Finally, there was a brief look ahead: “Nothing is coming to an end today. But when it comes to Tuesday, there will of course be a lot of melancholy.”

Only standing tickets for "Thiemstag" available

Dominic Thiem will play his last first round match next “Thiemday”, October 22, against the Italian Luciano Darderi. All seats for this day are already sold out, standing tickets are still available.