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Dominic Thiem is one of several active players who have once been at the very top of the game. Guys like Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka, and many others fit the same category. However, Thiem seems to have struggled more than most regarding his form and getting back to the level he once sustained on the ATP Tour. In fact, Dominic Thiem is currently ranked 101 in the world, yet his highest ranking ever was number 3.
Not only that, but if you look at what he has achieved in his career, it would seem unusual, given his age, that he is now so far down in the rankings. As a reminder, Thiem is a Grand Slam champion, having won the 2020 US Open – just a few short years ago. He has also reached the final of the French Open on two separate occasions, and he will be back for more this year as he is on the official French Open entry list. These results earned Thiem the nickname of the ‘Prince of Clay’. In both finals, he lost to the King of Clay, Rafael Nadal.
Adding to that, Thiem has reached the semi-finals of the French Open on two other occasions, which coincides with one quarter-final exit in 2020. He’s also reached the finals of the Australian Open, where he was just one set away from downing Djokovic for the title. So to say that Thiem has been a high-level player in recent times would be an understatement. Then again, I’d say that the 17 career titles speak for themselves really.
But while his resume is obviously pretty staggering, Thiem’s form over the last two years does not reflect his previous successes whatsoever. This begs the question, does Thiem’s 2023 form show signs that he is getting back up there? Let’s take a closer look.
Is 2023 the Year That Dominic Thiem Finds His Former Self?
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It’s been a long struggle for Thiem since his huge successes in 2020. Of course, the problematic wrist injury hasn’t helped matters. This injury kept him sidelined for a while, and it clearly dented his confidence on the match court. But in 2023, in my opinion, he is showing signs that things are starting to click once more. So here’s why I think it isn’t impossible for Dominic Thiem to get back up there in 2023:
Power Seems to Be Back
If you watch videos of Thiem playing back when he was challenging for slams, it’s obvious that power was one of his greatest assets. The force that he was able to put on the ball on each wing was just phenomenal. Yet because of the wrist injury, he certainly lost the revolutions that he could put on the ball – especially on the forehand side. But having watched him playing in recent weeks, he certainly looks to be hitting the groundstrokes harder than he has been.
Wins in Recent Weeks
If Thiem is to have a shot at getting back to the top of the tree, he needs to rediscover the confidence he had in the past. And there is just one way that confidence is built in tennis – by winning matches. Therefore, he needs a series of respectable wins to gain some momentum. On that note, in recent weeks Thiem has beaten the number 39, 43, and 63 in the world. These guys might not be the absolute best on the ATP Tour, but these are promising signs!
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