“Physically, I Have Broken Down”: Dominic Thiem Opens Up on Anticipated Comeback at Madrid Open 2021

Dominic Thiem, who made headlines last year when he won his first Grand Slam title at the US Open, had a below-par season this year so far. His memorable match this year was the fourth-round contest against Nick Kyrgios at the Australian Open.

Even though he wasn’t at his best and the crowd was rooting for Kyrgios all along, the Austrian found a way to upset the local hero in five sets. But he lost in the quarter-finals to Grigor Dimitrov.

Dominic Thiem had a below-par season since the ATP World Tour Finals last year

Since his Australian Open exit, it has been a dry season for Dominic Thiem as he failed to have an impact in the tournaments that followed. Many opined that he was struggling to find the motivation to play tennis; a problem that many athletes at the highest level would face now and then.

Also, Thiem became prone to injuries since last year’s US Open. First, it was a minor issue in the toe, and it was his left knee this year. He had to withdraw from the Serbia Open due to the injury to his left knee.

Read more: Dominic Thiem Says He is Only ‘at 10%’ of His Top Form Ahead of Return at Serbia Open 2021

With two tournaments on the red-turf having completed already, fans are eagerly waiting to see Thiem on-court, competing at the top level once again. It’s obvious that the Austrian had invested his heart and soul to win a Major.

When the moment came, it’s quite natural to feel confused about the path going further. For a while, it appeared as if Thiem was going through an existential crisis as he tried to reset his goals before stepping on a tennis-court.

“I’m playing really well again”- Thiem on his possible return

The good news is, Thiem is back in the business as he is having intense training sessions in Austria with his coach, Nicolas Massu. The Austrian can already feel an improvement in his fitness. “I’m playing really well again, I’m moving well. Physically, I’ve broken down a bit. But as soon as I was really motivated again, it went really fast.”

Indeed, it is good news for the sport with Thiem finding the motivation to train and compete again. With his incredible records at the French Open, the Austrian would like to stay fit for the tournament.

Although Thiem is not yet relieved of his knee injury, he’s still looking forward to playing in both Madrid and Rome Masters leading up to Roland Garros.

Left-knee injury is still bothering the Austrian

“Nothing can happen, no matter how much I’m burdened. The pain only comes after two or two and a half hours of intensive training, but that’s okay. When I look at the matches now, there’s more adrenaline in the game. In general, it’s getting better by the day,” Thiem commented. 

While it will be too soon to comment on his chances on the rest of the clay-court season this year, the fact that he found the motivation to compete and win titles is more than enough to put our bets on the Austrian. Thiem still has a few days to to train his body for the Madrid Open. With all the top-players participating, the tournament will gather a lot of viewership from fans across the globe.

The men’s main draw matches at the Mutua Madrid Open will start from May 2nd.

Read more: “Takes a Couple of Weeks to be Pain Free”: Dominic Thiem Gives His Injury Update Ahead of French Open 2021