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Dominic Thiem is one of the most exciting prospects in tennis. Over the last five years, he has displayed tennis that many could only dream of. From both forehand and backhand wings, the guy is unbelievably dangerous. He can unload on the ball from just about anywhere in the court, and his work rate is like no other. All of this has helped him to make the finals of 4 Grand Slams and win 1 – the US Open in 2020.
Thiem stated that this was his biggest career goal following that success. But with that said, his breakthrough has been short-lived. In early 2021, his form dipped massively, and it wasn’t helped by a knee injury. This knee injury was then followed up by a serious wrist injury that has written off the remainder of his 2021 season.
Of course, Thiem hasn’t returned to the courts in recent months. This naturally prompts the question – will he return in 2022, and will he be as good?
Thiem’s 2022 Outlook
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I follow Dominic Thiem quite closely, and I’ve seen some great news regarding his injuries and views on next season. But for those that don’t know, I’d like to share all of the updates now:
Surgery not required
The wrist injury that ruined his 2021 season really did look worrying for a while. Without going into specifics, he couldn’t even hit a ball, never mind compete. But back in August 2021, Thiem came out with a statement to say that his wrist didn’t require surgery. The reason this was such great news is that should he have needed surgery, his recovery time would be extensive. We are talking many more months away from the tour, which would have been a huge shame.
But as things currently stand, he hasn’t gone under the knife, and his wrist is on the road to recovery.
His personal objectives – Australian Open return
More recently, in November 2021, Thiem confirmed that his goal is to come back for the Australian Open. He has played extremely well at this event in the past, and it would be great for a return next year. The only uncertainty about this is whether he will play the warm-up events prior. Of course, if he isn’t ready to go until the Australian Open, he won’t have enjoyed any competition beforehand. This wouldn’t be too great for his chances to go deep in the tournament.
However, all of that is up in the air right now.
Otherwise fit and healthy
Unless there is something he isn’t posting on social media, he is fit and healthy. Besides the wrist, which is recovering nicely, there are no other causes for concern. In fact, he has been hitting the gym and getting a good amount of fitness done during his off-season. Again, these are promising signs that he is trying to get his body raring to go for the start of 2022. I sincerely hope he recovers enough to compete in January too, as I can’t wait to see those groundstrokes in action once more.
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