Dominic Thiem has not hit a competitive tennis ball in anger since June 22, 2021. For those keeping count, that is now eight months and counting.
There is light at the end of a very long and dark tunnel for the Austrian, but he is yet to step into it and continues to see a return to center stage pushed back by niggling fitness setbacks. The former US Open winner is right not to rush things, but he must be straining at the leash.
He has already sat out a major outing at Wimbledon, the defense of a prestigious crown at Flushing Meadows and an Australian curtain-raiser to the 2022 Grand Slam schedule.
A countdown is now on to the French Open in May, with Thiem – despite his lack of match practice – rated as a +650 shot on the betting site Paddy Power to emerge victorious at Roland-Garros. That tells you plenty about his standing in the global game.
There is an expectation that a two-time finalist in Paris can slot straight back into the fold and pick up where he left off. That is, however, easier said than done.
His star may have been on the rise before being laid low, culminating in a memorable five-set victory over Alexander Zverev in New York, but he has had a lengthy road to recovery and there is no telling how a troublesome wrist complaint will stand up to the demands of elite tournament play.
Swapping the splint for my racket again pic.twitter.com/G7jI3qtyq1
— Dominic Thiem (@ThiemDomi) August 10, 2021
Having initially been due to return to action at the Cordoba Open, Thiem has had to cancel those plans along with those to figure in three South American events in Argentina, Brazil and Chile.
Road to Recovery
A revised plan is to step back onto the court at Indian Wells in March. It would be fitting in many ways if Thiem’s second coming after the most serious struggle of his career to date came in the familiar surroundings of his first Masters triumph.
Having seen off Roger Federer to claim that prize back in 2019, there are happy memories in California for a man now ranked No.39 in the world.
Wrist concerns appear to have eased for now, with a new knuckle problem keeping him stuck on the sidelines. Thiem has said: “Training was going well in Vienna and I am so happy that I’ve made a full recovery regarding my wrist.” He countered that by admitting that a fresh ailment has forced him to bag up his rackets again.
After being out for so long, to start forcing the issue now would be foolish in the extreme. A man accustomed to rubbing shoulders with the very best in the business admits as much and has said of his immediate plans: “I need some consistent time on court before making my comeback”.
@CordobaOpen | #CordobaOpen2022
*Dominic Thiem has withdrawn due to a right finger injury. pic.twitter.com/tbr6uICbIT
— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 31, 2022
Wise words and ones that Thiem and everybody around him must heed. There is an obvious desire to get back to doing what he does best, but risks at this stage could result in more backward steps being taken just as forward momentum is established.
A welcome return is now within touching distance and many – even those he competes for major silverware alongside – will be delighted to see him back. It does, however, remain to be seen what version of Thiem opens things up for 2022, with there inevitable questions to be asked of how much rust has set in and how long that will take to shift.