Despite Self-Doubt, Dominic Thiem Quashes Retirement Thoughts With a Confident Message – ‘I Was Too Young..’

Austrian tennis sensation Dominic Thiem has had a relatively quiet comeback to the ATP Tour after suffering through several serious injuries over the past few years. Considering the length of time he was out of the professional circuit, many questions were raised regarding his future in tennis. In an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports, the Austrian tennis star answered many important and intriguing questions, especially about his future in the racket sport. His candid thoughts about when he injured his wrist back in 2021 became an instant highlight of this conversation.

The 2020 US Open winner described what he went through during the time he had to back down from tennis for a total of 9 months. He also addressed how he tackled the situation.

Dominic Thiem and his battle beyond the baseline

Thiem had to confront the shadows of doubt cast by a career-threatening injury. In tennis, each move is a calculated dance. Thiem’s right wrist injury sent shockwaves, rewriting the narrative of a player once perched at the pinnacle. The fall from world No. 3 in 2020 to a ranking beyond 800 mirrors the sad tale of a champion grappling with unforeseen adversity.

In the exclusive interview with EssentiallySports, Thiem talked about how his injury had set him back, but it’s incredible how he battled through it. He talked about his mindset and if there was ever a point during his injury phase that he thought of leaving the game.

Thiem’s admission exposed the human side of the tennis titan. This query became a portal into his psyche during the exclusive interview. The prospect of stepping away from the game never lingered even momentarily for the Austrian star.

He said: “No, no, was never there. Of course, there were tough moments where you think about it maybe sometimes, yeah! It would be nicer now to do something else, not to face the same stuff for so many days in a row.” For Thiem, youth becomes both a barrier and a driving force. In his words: “But to really consider leaving the game, know I’m too young still or also at the injury, I was too young still and yeah, I also want to prove to myself that I’m able to get back at a great level, you know even after my injury.”

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It seems like the Austrian is back on track with his strong mindset. However, his match records tell a completely different story. Thiem is struggling quite a lot to return to his old spot. The journey to this destination keeps getting farther away.

Struggles of Thiem in recent showdowns

In his last few matches, Thiem found himself deep in shaky waters. The defeat against Ugo Humbert in a gritty battle at the Moselle Open, marked by scores of 6-7(5), 6-4, 3-6, was a particularly painful one. Unfortunately, this wasn’t an isolated incident, as Thiem faced another setback at the hands of Alexander Zverev in the Paris Masters. This time, it was another fierce contest, which ended 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-7(5).

These losses can be due to Thiem’s injury, which created quite a lot of complications in 2021. He and his team were quite hopeful for a quick recovery, so they did not expect what was coming next. Thiem mentioned during the time that he could feel his wrist getting stiff and how the range of motion was almost zero. Fortunately, he is in a much better shape now.

The question looms: Are the regular losses a consequence of Thiem’s lingering injury or a temporary lapse in form? His recent struggles beckon a closer examination. The Austrian star still believes such disappointments are nothing but stepping stones in the road to a resurgence in the competitive tennis world.

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