Dominic Thiem congratulates Earthshot Prize finalists, says he's "thrilled" to see projects aimed at reviving the oceans

Dominic Thiem has always been keen to raise awareness of environmental problems. So it came as no surprise when the Austrian took to Instagram to congratulate several innovators who have come up with unique solutions to the problems facing the planet.

The Earthshot Prize is an award presented to five people each year in different categories who come up with innovative solutions to help the environment. The categories for the prize are: 'Protect and Restore Nature', 'Clean Our Air', 'Build a Waste-Free World', 'Revive Our Oceans' and 'Fix Our Climate'.

Thiem, who is currently recovering from a wrist injury, drew attention to the 15 finalists for this year's prize in a video on Instagram.

"The EarthshotPrize unveiled on Friday its first-ever 15 finalists - a global set of innovators and leaders with ground-breaking solutions to the world's greatest environmental challenges," Thiem said in his Instagram story.

While Dominic Thiem has always made sure to highlight different environmental issues, marine life is a topic that he holds close to his heart. As such, Thiem posted a follow-up story to his congratulatory speech, sparing a word for the finalists in the 'Earthshot to Revive Our Oceans' category.

Thiem gave props to Coral Vita (Bahamas), Living Seawalls (Australia) and Pristine Seas (USA) and said he was looking forward to seeing how their projects panned out.

"I'm thrilled to see the three projects to revive the oceans," Thiem added.

The 2021 Earthshot Prize ceremony will take place on 17 October 2021 at Alexandra Palace in London.

Here is a full list of all five categories, along with the three finalists that made the cut in each:

Earthshot Protect and Restore Nature: Pole Pole Foundation (The Democratic Public of Congo), The Republic of Costa Rica, Restor (Switzerland)

Earthshot Clean Our Air: Blue Map app (China), Takachar (India) and Vinisha Umashankar (India).

Earthshot Build a Waste-free World: The City of Milan Food Waste Hubs (Italy), Sanergy (Kenya) and Wota Box (Japan).

Earthshot Revive Our Oceans: Coral Vita (Bahamas), Living Seawalls (Australia) and Pristine Seas (USA).

Earthshot Fix Our Climate: Aem Electrolyser (Thailand, Germany and Italy), Reddi Capsules (Nigeria) and Solbazaar (Bangladesh)

After injury-ravaged 2021 season, Dominic Thiem looking forward to 2022

Dominic Thiem is on track to return next year

Dominic Thiem is aiming to return to the court in 2022 after an injury-ravaged campaign this year. The Austrian is currently recovering from a right wrist injury, which he suffered in Mallorca a few months ago.

Going by his recent Instagram activity, the 28-year-old has already started working on regaining the strength and flexibility he lost during his time away from tennis.

Thiem will be keen to bounce back strongly next year, considering he might be in danger of dropping outside the top 20. That said, a fully fit and refreshed Thiem will certainly be capable of competing for the big titles in 2022.