Dominic Thiem Suffers a Setback With His Wrist. Australian Open Tennis in Question

Dominic Thiem will decide by the end of December whether to play at the Australian Open after withdrawing from the upcoming ATP Cup and Sydney ATP 250 events on Sunday due to a long-standing wrist injury.

Thiem has not played since suffering the injury at the Mallorca Open in June, was unable to defend his U.S. Open title this year and also pulled out of this week’s World Tennis Championship exhibition event in Abu Dhabi.

“After speaking to my team we have decided to return to Austria instead of flying directly to Australia,” Thiem wrote on Twitter. “Unfortunately, I caught a cold (and tested negative for COVID-19) while in Dubai and was unable to practise last week.

“I will therefore not be in the physical condition required to be able to play the ATP Cup and Sydney ATP 250. After not competing for the last six months I can’t take the risk of coming back too soon and picking up a further injury.”

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— Dominic Thiem (@ThiemDomi) December 19, 2021