Dominic Thiem has returned to practicing on the court but there is one thing which is very different.
The US Open champion hasn’t played on the Tour since injuring his right wrist at the Mallorca Open last month which forced him to pull out of the Wimbledon Championships. Providing an update on his ongoing recovery, the Austrian uploaded a video on his Instagram account of him training along with the caption ‘finally back on court.’ However, he was hitting the ball with his left hand because his other hand is still in a splint.
Thiem’s wrist issues first started in Mallorca when he heard a crack during one of his matches. He then travelled to Barcelona where he was diagnosed with a ‘detachment of the posterior sheath of the ulnar side of the right wrist’ and told he must wear a splint for roughly five weeks. He is currently under the supervision of renowned doctor Angel Ruiz Cotorro who is best known for his treatment of Rafael Nadal.
The 27-year-old will be hoping to return back to full fitness in time for his title defence at the US Open later this year. So far this season Thiem has achieved a win-loss record of 9-9 with his best run being to the semi-finals of the Madrid Open and the fourth round of the Australian Open.
Another player on the comeback is Juan Martin Del Potro who himself knows what it is like to be sidelined with wrist problems. The Argentine hasn’t played a competitive match since injuring his knee at the 2019 Cinch Open in London. In March this year the injury-stricken player underwent his fourth knee surgery.
“It’s frustrating and painful not to achieve the goals, but it would hurt much more not to try. That is why I am here once again,” Del Potro wrote in June.
Providing an update on his recovery process, Del Potro said he is ‘increasing the intensity’ as he uploaded a video of him training. The 32-year-old has won 22 ATP titles and earned more than $25.8M in prize money during his career.
It is unclear as to when Thiem or Del Potro will be able to return to the Tour. Thiem is currently ranked sixth in the world but Del Potro has fallen down the standings to 746.
