"I fully understand that some of my performances weren't what they should be" - Dominic Thiem pens emotional note to fans after Davis Cup exit

Dominic Thiem reflected on his Davis Cup loss against Borna Coric on Sunday, a loss that sealed the tie in Croatia's favor. Taking on the World No. 23 in the reverse singles fixture, Thiem ended up losing in straight sets to hand his team the decisive third loss that sent them out of the qualifiers.

The former US Open champion had also lost his first singles rubber against Borna Gojo, another straight-sets loss. The Austrian is yet to win a match since the turn of the new year, facing first-round exits at the Adelaide International 1 (against Kwon Soon-woo) and the Australian Open (against Andrey Rublev) for a 0-4 win/loss record to start the season.

Taking to Instagram on Monday, Dominic Thiem reflected on his team's ousting from the Davis Cup, congratulating Croatia on their win while also lamenting his own failure. The 29-year-old went on to address his fans, admitting that it must be difficult for them to support him during such a poor run of form and apologizing, in a way, for his below-par results.

"I’m disappointed I could not help Austria win the Davis Cup tie against Croatia. Congratulations, and well done to them," Thiem wrote. "I know it wasn't easy for all of you to support me lately, and I fully understand that some of my performances weren't what they should be."

However, Thiem was not one to be distressed, declaring that he had every confidence that he can get back to his "best version" again -- a journey that will go faster with his fans behind him.

"I will get back to the best version of myself, and with your support, it will go faster and feel much better," Dominic Thiem wrote. "I appreciate it and I am beyond grateful you guys have my back."

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"I’m fit, I’m happy to compete and I’m looking forward to starting" - Dominic Thiem's goals for the 2023 season

Dominic Thiem at the Laver Cup 2019

Dominic Thiem has consistently maintained that this has always been his main goal after the injury comeback last year -- to get back to his previous best. A wrist injury sustained in 2021 has forced the Austrian on the backfoot since then and Thiem has spent the last few months regaining physical fitness that will give him the competitive edge once again.

Speaking to the press at the end of last season, the former World No. 3 admitted that the challenges ahead of him were huge, especially now that he is an unseeded player. However, he remained confident, both in his mental and tennis acumen, to get himself back to a place where he could beat anybody on his day.

"It’s going to be really difficult since I’m not seeded and I can face anybody at the beginning of any tournament. But I’m fit, I’m happy to compete and I’m looking forward to starting. My goal is to be on the way again, to achieve this, to be able to beat anybody, to go far in every tournament and I hope during 2023 this will happen again,” Thiem said.