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Dominic Thiem's ongoing wrist troubles have led many to draw parallels between his situation and that of Juan Martin del Potro. The latter has undergone four wrist surgeries over the course of his career, which has severely limited his playing time.
But in a recent interview with ORF Sport, Thiem refuted those comparisons, and pointed out that his condition is different from Del Potro's. The Austrian further claimed that players who have had injuries similar to his in the past have recovered well.
"I think Del Potro was a little different," Dominic Thiem said. "The players who had my injury came back very, very strong."
Dominic Thiem sustained his wrist injury at the Mallorca Championships earlier this year. The initial diagnosis revealed that Thiem had pulled the tendons on the ulnar side of his right wrist, for which he needed to wear a splint for five weeks.
Thiem then pulled out of a string of tournaments but maintained hopes of playing the US Open. That was not to be though, as the 27-year-old suffered a setback in his recovery process.
Dominic Thiem thus not only pulled out of the US Open, but called time on his season in order to give his wrist enough time to recover.
During his conversation with ORF Sport, the Austrian revealed that the latest tests have confirmed that his tendons have not yet healed. Thiem also said that he plans to resume training around the end of October or the beginning of November.
"The examinations have shown that the tendon sheath has still not healed," Thiem said. "(I will resume training by the end of October or the beginning of November at the earliest) if everything goes according to plan."
Dominic Thiem had briefly removed his splint earlier this month but has been instructed to wear it for another six weeks. Thiem lamented his situation but asserted that he needs to adapt.
"This is my first really serious injury, it is also a new situation. I have to get used to it a bit," Thiem said.
Dominic Thiem says "it hurts" to miss the Davis Cup in Austria
Part of the 2021 Davis Cup Finals is scheduled to be held in Innsbruck, Austria. In other words, Dominic Thiem would have been a part of the host nation's team, sharing a group with Novak Djokovic's Serbia and Alexander Zverev's Germany.
But the wrist injury means Thiem will not be able to represent Austria in the Davis Cup Finals. The 27-year-old rued that fact while speaking to ORF, pointing out how the event could have been a "career highlight" for him.
"That would have been an absolute highlight, maybe also a certain career highlight. It hurts that I'll miss it," Thiem said.
