Despite his excellent reputation, Dominic Thiem is enduring a difficult 2021 season. The Austrian started the year with a fourth round exit in the Australian Open. After a disappointing set of tournaments, he competed in the French Open carrying high hopes due to his prowess on clay. However, he suffered a shock first round exit to Pablo Andujar despite clinching the first two sets.

A wrist injury sidelined him from the subsequent Wimbledon and Tokyo Olympics. Despite his torrid year, he remains #6 in the rankings. With the US Open approaching, the defending champion gave an update on his fitness ahead of the hard court Grand Slam.

Dominic Thiem claims he is “physically in top shape” ahead of US Open

At the Mallorca Championships in June, Thiem retired during a match with Adrian Mannarino due to a wrist injury. This injury kept him out of action for several weeks, forcing him to miss Wimbledon and the Olympics.

With just two weeks to go for the final Grand Slam of the year, Thiem looks to recuperate in time. Speaking to Austrian television presenter Tom Walek, the 27-year-old revealed he took to running several kilometres. In addition, he also revealed he started playing tennis with his weaker left hand.

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He said, “I feel in top shape, I was allowed to do everything that didn’t put a strain on the wrist. I ran many kilometers, including footwork, playing tennis with my left hand.

“Maybe that’s the good thing – if there’s something positive about the injury – that hopefully it won’t be that long before I can come back when I can play right again. Because physically I am in top shape.” (Quotes translated from Google)

READ MORE: Dominic Thiem Appoints Alexander Zverev’s Ex-Conditioning Coach Ahead of US Open 2021 Defence

Can Thiem defend his US Open title this year?

Thiem enjoyed an impressive 2020 on hard courts. While he reached the final of the Australian Open, he won his maiden Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows by defeating Alexander Zverev in a five-set thriller.

However, he looks far from reaching those same levels this year. In addition, with players like Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal set to be fit, the World No. 6 faces a greater challenge to retain his title in Flushing Meadows.

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