Dominic Thiem will be sidelined from the Tour for ‘several weeks’ after undergoing tests on his wrist in Spain.
The world No.5 retired during his first round match at the Mallorca Open earlier this week after hearing what he described as a ‘crack’ in his wrist. Since then he has travelled to Barcelona to undergo an assessment which found a ‘detachment of the posterior sheath of the ulnar side of the right wrist.’ In a press release issued on Thiem’s social media account, he confirmed he will be wearing a splint for five weeks and will therefore miss Wimbledon, as well as tournaments in Hamburg and Gstaad.
“I’m going to do everything the doctors say in order to recover as quickly as possible. They’ve informed me that I might be out for several weeks, but I will do my best to be back on court soon”, said Thiem. “I’m really sorry for pulling out of the upcoming three tournaments I had in my calendar: Wimbledon, Hamburg and Gstaad. They are very important tournaments for me. I appreciate all the support from the fans in these difficult moments – I’m determined to come back stronger.”
Thiem will be under the supervision of renowned doctor Angel Ruiz Cotorro who is best known for his treatment of Rafael Nadal. He will undergo subsequent tests over the coming weeks which will provide an indication of when he will be ready to return to competitive tennis. As part of the recovery plan the 27-year-old will go through ‘functional rehabilitation’ after having his splint removed before he returns to training on the court.
The setback is the latest blow for the US Open champion during what has been a difficult season. Thiem has only managed to win back-to-back matches in one out of his past six tournaments played. At the French Open he suffered a shock first round loss in what was his earliest ever exit at the tournament. Prior to the clay swing, Thiem took a brief break from the Tour in order to ‘reset’ following the impact of winning his first Grand Slam title.
It is hoped that the Austrian will be fit in time for his title defence at the US Open. The North American hardcourt swing starts in Atlanta during the last week of July with Flushing Meadows commencing on August 30th.
Thiem has won 17 ATP titles and earned more than $28m in prize money so far in his career.
