On Sunday, September 13, 2020, Dominic Thiem He was up two sets down against Alexander Zverev to win the US Open and leave his mark on tennis history forever. At that time, many thought that the Austrian had solved the last riddle, the one that would give him the freedom to eat the locker room and fight to be number 1 in the world. Unfortunately for him and for all lovers of this sport, none of this was fulfilled. Eighteen months have passed and Dominic’s future is now more uncertain than ever, with injuries that have kept him from enjoying himself on the pitch.
Thiem himself said it months after that unforgettable day in New York. “Sometimes when you chase a goal for so long and finally achieve it, then you are left empty”. The Austrian’s dream was to win a Grand Slam, a goal that I can’t touch until I’m 27 years old. And later? To be fair, it must be said that the end of that season was very good for him, with two quarterfinals in Paris and Vienna, as well as a runner-up finish at the ATP Finals. It would be in 2021 when the doubts would arrive, the pressure, the discomfort of the one who debuts a new brighter suit, with more status, with more focus. Unexpected defeats, less fluidity in his tennis and a competitive decline that we had not seen him for a long time. Until the month of June arrived and, with it, a fateful grass tour where a single game was enough to finish off his bad luck.
June 2021, Mallorca tournament, round of 16. Thiem, exempt from the first round, debuts in the event against Adrian Mannarino, against whom he barely lasts seven games. Suddenly, a pain in his right wrist forces him to stop, withdraw from the match and rest indefinitely. At first it does not seem like a very serious injury, but anyone in the world of tennis, even someone from outside, knows the dangers of this type of treatment. We are facing an injury that can be treated from an immediate operation or from patience and rest. The Austrian opted for the latter, a strategy that has not yet provided a solution. Juan Martín Del Potro, to give another example, quickly decided to go to the operating room and, despite the fact that he was also away from the courts for a long time, he managed to return fully cured.
A RETURN THAT DOESN’T COME
Since then nine months have passed – which is said soon – without seeing Dominic inside a tennis court. He proposed to return to competition at the last US Open, where he had to defend his throne, but that was not fulfilled. After missing the appointment of the last Grand Slam of the course, Thiem understood that the best thing was to stop until the arrival of the new calendar, setting his sights on the Mubadala exhibition in December. Once again, the plans did not go as expected. He then put the accent on coming back on the Australian tour, then the Latin American tour in February, and then the Masters 1000 tour in March. There was no way to shorten the deadlines, on the contrary, what was achieved was to increase doubts.
Right now Dominic Thiem’s plans go through recovering 100% of his abilities, since at this point and after so much time out, it would be incongruous to risk the least. We won’t see him in Indian Wells, where he lifted the title three years ago, and he won’t be in Miami either. If nothing goes wrong, the return of Nicolás Massú’s pupil will take place in the european clay tour, starting in April, starting from outside the top50 and with a significant shooting disadvantage compared to their peers. Hopefully this time no part fails, the circuit needs him.
