The last few months have been a nightmare for Dominic Thiem. The eliminations in the first round at the Australian Open and the Challenger in Szekesfehevar, Hungary, combined with the clear debacle in the second round of the Challenger in Zadar against compatriot Lukas Meumayer further undermined Thiem’s mood and awareness.
The Austrian was the victim of a long ordeal after a serious wrist injury and has been living with a sub-optimal physical condition for some time, which does not allow him to return to the tennis player admired until 2020, when he won his first and only Slam, US Open.
Finally, the circle was closed by the decision not to take part in the Naples Challenger, a tournament currently underway, in which he should have taken part.
Dominic Thiem’s sad message
After a few days the Austrian wanted to justify this lump sum by explaining how things really are: “Hello everyone. I wanted to give you all a message, especially after the rumors that have been circulating over the last few days, and I wanted it to be through my social media, so that you all know the truth. As you all know, I started working and training again after the Australian Open.
I wanted to get back to the training that made me a great player. We started training like when I was younger, with a lot of intensity, a lot of shots and a lot of hours on the court. Unfortunately, a little before my return to the Hungarian Challenger, my wrist started to have some problems.
I started having those clicks again which bothered me a lot and which resembled the ones I felt when I returned from the injury three years ago. Also, that weird feeling has come back and turned into pain over the last few weeks.
Finally, there is a small inflammation: that’s why I withdrew from the Naples Challenger. At the moment, the situation is the following: I have slowed down the laps a bit, I have lowered the intensity of the training sessions, making them a little shorter, because there is a bit of optimism and a good chance that I can return to Estoril. I want to play there again, that’s my goal. Thank you for your support, see you soon,” he wrote.
A message that does not bode well and that sees him increasingly heading towards a retirement that was hypothesized and feared some time ago.
In summary: “My wrist is hurting again. It’s the same pain I felt when I returned from injury three years ago.” Is his career over for him?