The 2020 US Open champion and former world number three battled valiantly in the sport’s most competitive era.

Coming away with a Grand Slam title is more than his contemporaries can say, who’ve never been given an inch by the ‘big three’.

While another teary retirement of one of tennis’ nice guys, Dominic Thiem’s retirement has been met with both grief and understanding.

Matteo Berrettini suggests inevitability about Dominic Thiem’s retirement

Thiem officially entered retirement with a 7-6(6) 6-2 defeat to friend Luciano Darderi on Tuesday in front of a packed Vienna crowd.

Less than a year after his US Open victory, the Austrian suffered a wrist injury that kept him off the ATP Tour for 10 months.

He also saw his ranking plummet to outside the top 350 and unfortunately for Thiem, he has never managed to reach his heights of old.

Matteo Berrettini was one of many ATP players to address the Austrian’s retirement, after Alexander Zverev sent Thiem a touching message.

The Italian told Tennis.com: “Obviously tennis, it’s not just hitting a tennis ball. There are so many things that you have to take care of.

“We all know that he was struggling with his wrist, and he was a physical player,” Berrettini explained. “So once you lose a little bit of confidence in your body, then it’s tough to get going. (Plus) your motivation, the stuff that you’re doing and everything that is happening around your life.”

Adding that Thiem was an incredibly popular figure on the tour, he said: “I respect a lot about his decision because he felt like he’s not in the place that he wanted to be. He steps away with my respect, and I think, the respect from the rest of the players.”

What was Matteo Berrettini’s record against Dominic Thiem?

Berrettini and Thiem have played six matches against each other on the ATP Tour.

The Italian holds the advantage in their head-to-head encounters, winning four of their matches to Thiem’s two, including three of the last four.

Their matches have typically been close, reflecting their similar high level of play and varying form.

Overall, it has been a competitive rivalry, with both players showing strong performances on different surfaces.

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