October 20th is shaping up to be a Super Sunday that no tennis fan will want to miss! Austrian ATP star Dominic Thiem is preparing to say goodbye to the tennis world in style with a grand farewell party at the Wiener Stadthalle, Austria’s largest event center. But before Thiem hits the court for one final showdown, he’s eagerly waiting on a response to a special invitation he sent out—to none other than tennis legends Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. Can one imagine the electricity in the air if these greats join him for this epic send-off?

The Austrian tennis sensation will engage in a rematch of the 2020 US Open Final against Alexander Zverev, where he bagged the title in an intense five-setter match. There will also be an entertaining one-shot cup and, as a final highlight, a tribute to Dominic Thiem. But interestingly, despite the magnanimous success Thiem has witnessed on courts, he seems to be waiting for a response from tennis greats.

Thiem engaged in an interaction with the German publication Heute ahead of his final showdown. Speaking in the interview, he said, “I invited Federer, Nadal and Djokovic to my farewell party. Nobody has contacted me yet.” The Austrian player has played against all three players during his career. Interestingly, he even leads the head-to-head tally against Federer 5-2, but despite these stats, he has failed to get any response about the star players joining his farewell party. However, the presence of several other renowned faces has already been confirmed, per Heute.

The event will witness the presence of football world champion Andre Schürrle, ski jumping star Gregor Schlierenzauer, Stefan Kraft, and tennis veteran Tommy Haas. NBA icon Dirk Nowitzki, a big tennis fan, could also join the celebrations.

Remember, Thiem announced his retirement from the ATP circuit in May this year owing to several challenges he faced due to his wrist in the past couple of years. He suffered an injury in 2021 and failed to return to his dominant form since then. The farewell, meanwhile, would be quite emotional for the star player especially due to the venue. 

For the unversed, Thiem watched his first tennis match in Vienna and will bid adieu to the sport at the same venue thereby bringing his career to a “full circle.” “I watched the exhibition doubles and later sat in the hall from the first to the last match. It was always clear that I would stop here. I am happy that things are now coming full circle. There will also be a sense of relief,” he said in the interview. As he gears up for the farewell party, the fire in his belly has continued to remain intact. 

“Ambition is still there,” Dominic Thiem reveals his plan for the Super Sunday

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Dominic Thiem might be retiring from tennis soon but his love for the sport has continued to dominate his emotions. Even though he has nothing to lose on October 20th, Thiem wishes to play at his best level and in a dominant form in Vienna. 

Speaking about this, the former World No. 3 said, “I want to play at a decent level in Vienna. That spark of ambition is still there.” Continuing further, he added “My problem is that my level drops quickly if I don’t play much. I noticed that after Kitzbühel.” It is probably for this affection for the sport, that moving on from it is a challenging task for Thiem.

“The last few months have been a rollercoaster ride,” Thiem said. Emotionally, he is already attempting to distance himself from life as a professional athlete, “but I won’t really be able to move on until a foggy day in November.” As the tennis world gears up to pay tribute to the star player, it would be interesting to see if Thiem’s invitation is responded to by Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic.