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Dominic Thiem recently announced that he won't be returning to competitive tennis at the 2022 Cordoba Open, dealing a huge blow to his most ardent fans.
Thiem pulled the tendons in his right wrist during his second-round match at the 2021 Mallorca Championships, a tune-up event to last year's Wimbledon. A few weeks later, the Austrian announced that he would be on the sidelines for the rest of the 2021 season as he underwent a procedure on his hand.
The 2020 US Open winner subsequently recovered and, going by his recent social media activities, looked set to make his return to competitive tennis during the South American claycourt swing. However, in a message uploaded by the Cordoba Open's Instagram handle, Thiem disclosed that he had suffered a minor setback in his comeback.
The Austrian divulged a few details concerning his setback, claiming he was distressed by "a minor injury between his knuckles" and "a little strain on his ligaments" over the last few days. The 28-year-old added that he was also 'lacking in practice' ahead of the ATP 250 tournament, which will be played this week.
He did insist, however, that the situation concerning his wrist remained positive.
"Hello everybody, very sorry I will have to pull out. In the last days I suffered minor injury between my knuckles, little strain of my ligaments," Thiem said in the video. "The positive thing is that wrist is fine, but I'm suffering pain in my hand, and also lacking of practice..."
The Austrian then asserted that he was "very sad" to withdraw from the 2022 Cordoba Open, but also promised that he'd be back for future editions of the tournament. At the end of his message, he made sure to spare a few words for the local fans.
"I have to pull out, very sad. I'm gonna come back when I'm 100% fit. Thank you so much for the warm welcome in Cordoba."
Dominic Thiem could still make his comeback during the South American claycourt swing later this month
Dominic Thiem is also on the entry list for the 2022 Argentina Open in Buenos Aires and the 2022 Rio Open, which are scheduled to take place later in the month. The Austrian could make an appearance at either of the two tournaments, provided he manages to overcome his latest setback.
It should be noted that the 2020 US Open winner hasn't played a competitive match on the ATP tour in more than six months. His last match at a Major tournament came at Roland Garros in 2021, where he lost to Pablo Andujar in the first round after being two-sets-to-love up.
Also check out: Updated ATP Men's Tennis Rankings
