Dominic Thiem was forced to retire from the US Open with what appeared to be an illness after worrying scenes on the Louis Armstrong Stadium. The former world No 3 lost the opening set to Ben Shelton in a tiebreak and left the court, complaining to his team when he returned. He then doubled over the net and called the doctor to court, gagging at his bench before forfeiting the match.
Thiem’s promising run at the US Open ended in heartbreak as he became too unwell to complete his second-round match. On Monday, the Austrian defeated 25th seed Alexander Bublik to earn his first match win at a Grand Slam tournament since January 2021 and he looked to build on that confidence against Shelton.
The world No 81 had a set point but was dragged into a tiebreak with the American taking the opener 7-6(1). Thiem then vacated the court and complained to his team, saying he “felt s**t” when he returned. The 29-year-old could barely return the ball as he lost the first game of the second set and he called the doctor to the court, bending over the net as he appeared to be dealing with a stomach issue.
Thiem then retreated to his bench where he started gagging before the doctor and the physio approached him. The trio had a discussion before the 2020 US Open champion got up and approached Shelton, shaking his hand and officially retiring from the match.
Thiem had also been forced to pull out of last week’s Winston-Salem Open with gastroenteritis and caused some concern at the very start of his match against Bublik on Monday when he walked into the tunnel and quickly returned again. But any fears were tamed when the former world No 3 upset the 25th seed in straight sets.
The US Open marked the 29-year-old’s first tournament since he reached the final of his home tournament in Austria at the start of the month as he didn’t play the Masters events in Canada and Cincinnati. And the victory over Bublik had extra significance as his first match win in Flushing Meadows since he lifted the title in 2020.
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