WATCH: Dominic Thiem left in agony after a gut-wrenching defeat against Lorenzo Sonego in Miami

At the Miami Open on Thursday evening, Lorenzo Sonego of Italy ended his six-match losing streak at the ATP Masters 1000 level by defeating former World No. 3 Dominic Thiem 7-6(9-7), 6-2. Thiem’s troubles persisted as he was unable to control his emotions, resulting in his fourth straight first-round exit on the Tour.

The World No.59 defeated the 2020 US Open champion in the round of 128 in one hour and 56 minutes. The Austrian player had a disappointing start to the year, having lost eight out of his nine matches so far, after ending the 2022 season with a win-loss record of 18-16. However, Thiem’s solitary win of the year was against Alex Molcan from Slovakia, which came in February at the Argentina Open.

Since Rome 2021, Thiem has failed to win any match at the Masters 1000 level. During his recent match, he recorded 13 winners to 30 unforced errors, with both flanks being evenly affected. His last victory was in Miami back in 2016, and his last win in a Masters 1000 tournament was at the Italian Open in 2021. On Thursday night, Sonego further improved his head-to-head record against the former World No. 3, making it 2-1.

However, cameras captured Thiem’s moment of frustration just as Sonego was about to serve for the match in the second set. Seated in their respective chairs, Thiem appeared on the verge of tears as he uttered something out of frustration.

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Dominic Thiem continues to struggle post his comeback

In June 2021, the 29-year-old, held the fifth position in the world rankings until he suffered a severe wrist injury. It kept him away from the court for nine months. On returning to the Tour in March 2022, he had dropped to the 50th position, and his rhythm had been entirely disrupted.

Throughout last year, he suffered seven first-round exits, leading to a steady decline in the rankings, dropping as low as No. 352 in June 2022. However, despite his struggles with form, he displayed some signs of improvement, eventually climbing to No. 106 in the ATP rankings.

Thiem was a fierce opponent and a determined player in the past. His grit and fight made him comeback to the sport within a year. Thiem gained popularity and was often regarded as the first big player of the younger generation. However, fans will not give up on him and believe that he will fight for the titles once again.

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