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Dominic Thiem has been away from professional tennis since July due to a wrist injury, but he and his fans finally have something to cheer about. In a new update on his social media handles, Thiem has revealed that his recovery is going well and that he has been vaccinated against COVID-19.
The Austrian had announced last month he wouldn't need surgery on his wrist, which meant he could start training soon. He now intends to return to the court at the exhibition event in Abu Dhabi, in the lead-up to the 2022 Australian Open.
"I am very happy to announce that my recovery is going well. The MRI I did today showed that my wrist injury has improved significantly," Thiem wrote. "A couple of weeks ago I started playing with soft balls and was able to switch to normal tennis balls during yesterday's practice session. My team and I strongly believe that I’ll be ready to make my comeback to competition later this year."
"I'll be returning to competition in December and will be playing the MWTC 2021 in Abu Dhabi - with the objective to return to the tour for the 2022 Australian Open," he added.
Dominic Thiem also gave a clear update about his vaccination status, in light of recent media reports that he wasn't allowed to attend the Vienna Open because he was not vaccinated. Thiem had earlier stated he was waiting for the Novavax vaccine to be available for use, but in his new update he revealed that he has gone ahead and taken the jab.
"Needless to say that the vaccine is needed to play both events (Abu Dhabi and Australian Open), and in my case I have already been vaccinated," Thiem wrote. "I saw recently some news about this and I had made it very clear that I would get vaccinated. Hopefully the next time things won’t be taken this far as I saw last week…"
"I'd like to thank all of my fans who have been incredibly supportive these last couple of months" - Dominic Thiem
Dominic Thiem missed two Grand Slam tournaments in 2021 - Wimbledon and the US Open - due to his wrist injury. But now he seems all set to launch a bid for the Australian Open at the start of the 2022 season.
In his update on social media, Thiem thanked his fans for their support during this difficult period of recovery and rehab.
''Last but not least, I would like to thank all of my fans who have been incredibly supportive these last couple of months," Thiem said. "I cannot wait to play my first competitive match in a little over a month."
