"There is just one way to get back to the top and that’s hard work, patience and the right attitude, I know I'm going to get there" - Dominic Thiem

Dominic Thiem took to Instagram on Monday to pen a heartfelt note to his fans following his premature exit from the 2022 French Open. The Austrian appeared optimistic, saying he was going to keep working hard and remain patient until he gets back to his old self.

Thiem suffered his seventh straight loss of the season, losing his Roland Garros opener to Hugo Dellien in straight sets. Although the former US Open winner had his moments, it was pretty evident that his forehand was nowhere near its best.

Taking to Instagram, the former World No. 3 admitted that his return to action has been very tough. In the same breath, however, he promised his fans that he would learn from the defeats and come back stronger.

"I left Paris this morning. These past weeks have been very tough for me. Especially yesterday at one of my favourite tournaments. But I need to learn from it and set new goals. There is just one way to get back to the top and that’s hard work, patience and the right attitude," Dominic Thiem said.

For the moment, the 28-year-old noted that he needed some time to gather his thoughts and plot the right course of action to achieve his goals for the year.

"I know I'm going to get there. Right now, however, I need some time to arrange all my thoughts and take care of my tennis and my goals," Thiem wrote. "It is my priority, so that I may return with all my strength."

Dominic Thiem plans to go back to the Challenger tour to get match wins under his belt

One of the plans Thiem has to facilitate his return to the top is to drop down to the ATP Challenger tour for a while. Speaking at his press conference after the loss against Hugo Dellien in Paris, the Austrian remarked that he did not mind playing a couple of tournaments at a lower level if it meant he got valuable match practice.

"Yeah, definitely thinking to go back to Challenger level now for maybe one or two tournaments," Dominic Thiem said. "Of course a match win would help a lot, but if I'm honest to myself, I was, in all the matches I played, still pretty far away from a win."