After winning the 2020 US Open just a few days after turning 27, most indications pointed towards Dominic Thiem entering the golden patch of a career that had promised so much for so long.

Having already reached three other Grand Slam finals before winning in New York, and sitting at a career-high ranking of No 3 in the world, a maiden US Open title felt like the final piece of the puzzle for Thiem to truly break through to the upper echelons of tennis’ elite.

What few saw at the time, however, was that this momentous success was in actual fact the crest of a wave the Austrian had been riding for some time – one that was sadly, and inevitably, about to break.

Thiem has been candid about his struggles for motivation since that seismic achievement, having successfully achieved a goal he had worked his entire life for.

His results suffered considerably over the first half of the 2021 season, as Thiem grappled with burnout and a loss of form. Further struggles followed for the talented Austrian, when a severe injury to his right wrist that summer kept him out of action until March 2022.

Since then, Thiem has been searching for the type of tennis that led him to a Grand Slam title and a deserved status as one of the world’s very finest players.

But it has, as yet, proved elusive.

promising signs for thiem despite the lack of a statement win

However, there have been some very promising signs over the past six months or so, as Thiem’s form has improved significantly, rising to a level not far off the tennis of his pomp. Yet statement victories in big tournaments have so far evaded him.

“I see it as the last chance,” Thiem said of his 2024 season, speaking to Austrian newspaper Der Standard.

While acknowledging that the window of opportunity to get back to the very top of the sport is narrowing, Thiem remains optimistic that the rise will be rapid once he can find momentum.

“If I can do it, it can be done quickly,” he said.

“I’ve been back for two years since the injury, and I finished 100 or so in 2022 and 98 last year. If I finish the year at 100 again, you have to consider whether the whole thing is still worthwhile.”

Thiem explains that the feeling of reaching his best level once again is something that keeps him working hard. It is this that motivates him, rather than anything else.

“I never did it for the money either. I’m not a person who values money very much. As honest as I am, I don’t really care about the whole topic.

“I’ve been chasing the feeling for a long time, really like that again in a match. To play tennis the way I can. And the way I demand of myself.”

window closing for thiem, but a return to the top remains achievable

Once nicknamed the ‘Prince of Clay’, referring to his formidable prowess on the surface, Thiem was seen as the rightful heir to Rafael Nadal‘s throne at Roland-Garros.

He reached successive finals there in 2018 and 2019, pushing Nadal hard for two sets in the latter of those finals.

But since that groundbreaking US Open win and Thiem’s struggles with motivation and injury, the entire landscape of men’s tennis has shifted.

While the sun has nearly set on the era of the Big Three, explosive new talents have emerged at the other end of the sport.

Now 30 years old, and ranked 90th in the world, Thiem is under no illusions that time is very much against him.

2024 may well be his last great chance to work his way back up towards tennis’ summit.

But for a player with the sheer talent and determination that the Austrian possesses, that target remains eminently achievable.