This year’s US Open champion Dominic Thiem is Austria’s male athlete of the year. Thiem had to settle for second place on two previous occasions behind skiier Marcel Hirscher.
Thiem prevailed over Bayern Munich football player David Alaba and Ski Jumping World Cup winner Stefan Kraft.
Thiem clinched his maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open beating Alexander Zverev after 4 hours and 2 minutes. He has become the first player to win the US Open final from two sets down since Pancho Gonzales in 1949 and the first to win any Grand Slam final from two sets down since Gaston Gaudio at 2004 Roland Garros. Thiem beat Hugo Gaston in five sets before losing to Diego Schwartzman in the quarter final at Roland Garros after 5 hours and 8 minutes. At the Australian Open Thiem beat Rafael Nadal en route to the final, where he lost to Novak Djokovic in five sets.
Thiem has qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals in London for the fifth consecutive year.
“For me it’s a great honour before the ATP Finals in London”, said Thiem.
Heptathlete Ivona Dadic, who set the world leading mark in the heptathlon at the National Combined Events Championships in Goetzis, won the Austria’s female athlete of the year award.
