Love knows no bounds. Dominic Thiem couldn’t exempt himself from this either. In 2021, the former World No. 3 broke the internet after publicizing his romance with partner Lili Paul-Roncalli. Thiem, who was earlier involved with fellow tennis player Kiki Mladenovic, parted ways with the latter in 2019, refraining from citing the reason behind their split. However, the 30-year-old’s heartbreak found a suitable reset and happiness with Lili. All this began with a picture that caused all the “hype”!

The German-born professional dancer and performer, Roncalli, is a renowned personality in her nation. Subsequently, when Thiem took to his socials to post an adorable picture with her, fans were crazed. The 2020 US Open champion highlighted that the snapshot garnered major attention from news outlets, requesting him for a sit-down in hopes of digging deep into his relationship. However, those appeals saw no light. Rather, led to an amusing story which proved, “private life shall remain private”.

During a recent interview, Dominic admitted that he was surprised by the attention that his post caused to comment: “Never had I thought that my Instagram picture together with Lili would cause such hype. Within a few hours, I had requests for interviews from Germany and Austria, which I had to turn down though. My private life shall remain private.”

Later, Thiem reiterated that he aims to keep the curtains drawn on his romantic life with Lili, who won the 2020 edition of ‘Let’s Dance’ that is a German reality show. While there are no reports about when they start to date, Thiem revealed the place of their first meeting. “However, I’ll tell my fans that much: I first met Lili in Vienna. We get along well, we can laugh together and we enjoyed the few days together we have had so far.” Let’s circle back to the time when the Austrian hinted at a potential “girl” in his life.

Thiem’s romance with Mladenovic began in 2017 when he publicly acknowledged their relationship at the ATP Nitto Finals in London. However, the two could not last longer than two years. Thiem, talking about their break-up in February 2020, during a press conference, stated, “Being in a relationship implies commitment, time and focus. For now, I am not looking for a partner, even if I am not closing any doors. I am sure that in the future, you will see a girl in my box to cheer me up.”

Now, it is no surprise that the Austrian pro’s girlfriend is all for the former’s support. So much so, that Roncalli stood firmly by the former World No. 3 when bid his adieu at the Austrian Open Kitzbuhel.

Lili Paul-Rancolli giggles over boyfriend Dominic Thiem’s farewell ceremony

Tennis will miss Dominic Thiem. Well, at least from the 2025 season, they will. Earlier this season, the former World No. 1 announced that the running year would be his last on the professional tour. While his impressive career staged several feats, a long-standing wrist injury hampered his overall performance.

The 2018 and 2019 men’s singles runner-up, Dominic Thiem, bid farewell to his Roland-Garros fans in May this year after losing his second round qualifying match to Finland’s Otto Virtanen on Court Suzanne-Lenglen. Despite giving his all, Thiem was unable to overcome Virtanen, losing 6-2 7-5. This defeat marks the end of Thiem’s Roland-Garros career. This, in turn, led him to engage in a farewell ceremony at his hometown event.

Tournament director Amelie Mauresmo presented Thiem with a gift featuring the layers and composition of the famous red brick Roland-Garros courts. There were some laughs along the way, as the Austrian, along with Roncalli, giggled when Thiem was handed his parting award.

In addition to the 2020 Flushing Meadows crown, the 30-year-old added 16 tour-level silverware to his collection. Currently, the Austrian is poised to play his first round at the US Open against Ben Shelton. Will he be able to repeat his 2020 performance for one last time at the Arthur Ashe Stadium?