‘If the ligament remains stable, I’ll start playing tennis, but if it pops out again I’ll have to have surgery,’ says Dominic Thiem
Follow Us
Dominic Thiem
Dominic Thiem’s return to tennis in 2022 still remains under cloud as he is still a few hard steps away from recovering fully from his wrist injury. The year 2021 didn’t begin on a great note for the Austrian, as he lost early in Australia and later struggled to win matches on his preferred clay.
Thiem’s form deteriorated rapidly, owing to which he even lost in the opening round of Roland Garros to Pablo Andujar. Post the clay season, Thiem went to play the inaugural grass court championships in Mallorca. Unfortunately, he picked up a wrist injury, which till now has kept him away from the action.
Although the former World No.3 vowed to return stronger ahead of the Australian Open in 2022, the situation rather appears bleak for the time being.
“In 4 days, I will take the splint off. I’ll use my wrist as normally as possible for a week. On the 4th of October, I’ll have heavy wrist tests. If the ligament remains stable, I’ll start playing tennis. If it pops out again I’ll have to have surgery, chances are 60/40,” the 2020 US Open champion declared.
In case, Thiem goes under the knife once again, then he could potentially end up missing another six months of tennis, which will see him further drop in the rankings. Furthermore, the Austrian won’t return to the tour before the clay season in 2022.
Mental health remains a taboo
Meanwhile, the two-time French Open runner-up also opened up to Tennis United Channel and expressed his disappointment on how mental health often gets ignored in professional sport. Thiem has been harping on the glaring issue and even told the media about his struggles with anxiety issues, during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021.
“I think it’s getting better and better. I guess that for many athletes, it’s still a difficult topic and it shouldn’t be. I think mental health is as important as physical health just because you can’t see what’s going on in your brain, or in your head it doesn’t mean that everything is good up there.”
“We are feeling same like other people, and all other people are going through difficulties, both in in their profession and in their private life, and in general,” the 27-year-old added.
Stay Updated!
Vivek Krishnan
(767 Articles Published)