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World No.15 Dominic Thiem has announced that he will not be playing in the 2022 ATP Cup as well as the Sydney Tennis Classic. Thiem was initially set to be involved in both events as preparation for the Australian Open.
The Austrian took to social media on Sunday to share the decision, just days after he pulled out of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship. This time, however, Thiem reported that it was not his wrist injury that was acting up again but rather a common cold that has made things more complicated.
"I caught a cold (and tested negative for COVID-19) while in Dubai and was unable to practice last week," Thiem wrote. "I will therefore not be in the physical condition required to be able to play the ATP Cup and Sydney ATP 250."
Dominic Thiem's major concern was that this lack of proper physical condition might exacerbate the old injury, a risk he wanted to avoid. He wrote:
"After not competing for the last 6 months I can't take the risk of coming back too soon and picking up a further injury."
The 2020 Australian Open runner-up further explained that he will be flying back to Austria from Dubai. Thiem will confirm whether he is going to play at the 2022 Australian Open by the end of the year.
"My aim is still to play the Australian Open but we will make a final decision about my participation by the end of December," he wrote.
One good news from Thiem, however, was that his training camp in Dubai has proved helpful and his wrist has almost healed to pre-injury levels. He wrote:
"Overall, the time I spent in Dubai was great as I've increased the intensity and level of practice and my wrist is almost at 100%."
Dominic Thiem has not played competitive tennis since June 2021
Dominic Thiem suffered a wrist injury while playing against Adrian Mannarino at the Mallorca Championships in June this year. Leading 5-2 in the first set, he retired from the match and announced a comeback close to the US Open to defend his title.
Unfortunately, the recovery period ran longer than expected and forced him to plan a return to competitive tennis only prior to the 2022 season.
Dominic Thiem was announced as part of Austria's team for the ATP Cup, where they were drawn in Group B alongside defending champions Russia, Italy and Australia. At the Sydney Tennis Classic, he was expected to be the top-ranked male player. However, he will now be absent from both tournaments.
Also Check Out: Complete ATP Cup 2022 Schedule
