Defending Champion Thiem Out of U.S. Open

August 18, 2021 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
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Photo Credit: Darren Carroll/USTA

 

Dominic Thiem will not repeat as U.S. Open champion, as the Austrian announced on Wednesday that he has withdrawn from the final Slam of the year, and will miss the remainder of the season.

“Unfortunately, I’ve had to withdraw from the U.S. Open and will miss the rest of the 2021 season,” he wrote in a message on Twitter. “I’m really disappointed not to be able to defend the title in New York but I haven’t recovered from the wrist injury I suffered back in June at the Mallorca Open. The past six weeks, I’ve been following the medical advice, wearing the wrist splint, doing exercise to stay in shape before starting to train back on court. My recovery was going really well, but then last week I hit a ball during training and started to feel some pain again.”

Thiem’s doctors told him he needed to give his wrist more time to recover, and he made the decision to shut it down for the rest of this season.

“I want to thank you all for the support that you have given me so far,” Thiem went on to say. “It really means a lot to me and gives me a lot of strength and helps me stay positive in this difficult time. I will use this time where I am not competing to stay in shape and put more focus on causes I’m very committed to, such as sustainability, especially ocean conservation and nature. I will keep you updated on my progress. Take care and I can’t wait to be back on court!”

By way of not defending ranking points at the U.S. Open and the ATP Finals, Thiem will drop out of the Top 10 for the first time since May 2016.

 


Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
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