After what’s been an incredibly tough year for Dominic Thiem, the Austrian has had to withdraw from the rest of the 2021 season. The US Open champion will not be able to defend his title this year as he is experiencing further pain with the wrist injury that occurred in Mallorca before Wimbledon. Though it’s hugely disappointing we won’t see him in action this year, it’s clearly the right decision to let his injury heal properly.
Dominic Thiem Ends 2021 Season
Though it was unlikely Thiem would be ready to play or at least defend his title at Flushing Meadows, this setback is a real shame. After trying to hit a forehand in training not long after removing his wrist splint, he felt a similar pain to when he initially injured it.
This is especially disappointing as his recovery was going well and it certainly seemed as though he’d be back playing by the end of the year.
— Dominic Thiem (@domithiem) August 18, 2021
However, Thiem is definitely making the right choice to give his wrist as long as possible to heal. Wrist injuries in tennis have the potential to cause enormous problems to your career, as we’ve seen with Juan Martin del Potro.
Outlook for the future
Having already dropped down the rankings due to injuries and mental struggles this year, Thiem unfortunately has a lot of rankings points he is now unable to defend. Being the US Open and Indian Wells champion as well as reaching the end of year final, he is going to lose a huge amount of points. He started the year as World #3 but now finds himself ranked sixth. Unable to defend his points for the rest of the season, he will be out of the Top 10 in 2022.
It illustrates what a tricky and unfortunate year this has been for the Austrian. He’s been arguably the most electrifying player on tour in recent years and the closest to the big three consistently. It’s safe to say that he’s sorely missed on the tennis circuit right now.
While this is another disappointing setback for Thiem, he will no doubt be back stronger because of it. It’s been the toughest year of his career, but he seems in a good headspace despite the situation. Expect Thiem to be back fit and firing in 2022, and we’ll no doubt see him back to his best in no time.
Main Photo from Getty.
