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Dominic Thiem of Austria returns the ball during his Men’s Singles final match against and Alexander Zverev of Germany on Day Fourteen of the 2020 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
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Dominic Thiem of Austria returns the ball during his Men’s Singles final match against and Alexander Zverev of Germany on Day Fourteen of the 2020 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
After enduring a heartbreaking opening-round loss in the French Open 2021, Dominic Thiem was confident about his grass-court season. However, adding to his misery, he suffered a wrist injury in Mallorca and had to withdraw from Wimbledon, too. A few weeks later now, and the Austrian ace has finally started to hit the courts again.
Recently, the reigning US Open champion stated that he does not want to hurry his recovery. Moreover, given the ‘delicate injury,’ Thiem is anticipating a break of around five weeks since the Mallorca episode.
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Going by his training video, it is clear that the time for his return is near. But along with that, the video did raise a few concerns about his injury.
Dominic Thiem turns lefty in the first training session post the Wimbledon withdrawal
Since the start of his career, the now 27-year-old has been known for his rigorous workout and training sessions. Even this time, Thiem has not let the intensity level down.
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 14: Dominic Thiem of Austria waits to return serve in his Men’s Singles fourth round match against Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria during day seven of the 2021 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on February 14, 2021 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
In the recent drill, Thiem engaged heavily with his lefty backhand and other movement exercises. Despite the 9-9 win-loss record on the Tour so far, he looked confident in his movement as he did hoops and sideways running preparations.
There was no smile. But one can make out how happy he is moving gleefully on the hard surface. Thiem captioned the video, “Finally back on court.”
Until now, the Austrian ace has not confirmed his return date on the tennis tour. However, he did announce that he would not be traveling to Japan for the Tokyo Olympics.
Along with Thiem, the 20-time Grand Slam champions Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have also withdrawn from the Games. Even they are on the road to recovery on the men’s circuit.
Read More: Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Other Favorites at Tokyo Olympics 2020
What’s next for Thiem in 2021?
Although Thiem has had a rough season, the remaining part plays a vital role for him. Most significantly, the Austrian will hope to defend his only Grand Slam title, the US Open, successfully.
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Dominic Thiem of Austria celebrates with championship trophy after winning in a tie-breaker during his Men’s Singles final match against Alexander Zverev of Germany on Day Fourteen of the 2020 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Furthermore, Thiem has been a runner-up in the ATP Finals for two consecutive years. However, this time, he has to make a giant leap to qualify in the last eight. Thus, it would be on his list of goals to achieve in 2021.
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Above all, the Austrian has a game that can beat anyone in the world. Hopefully, he will find that rhythm soon when he returns on the court.
Do you think Thiem will defend his US Open title?
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