Dominic Thiem to miss Australian Open despite claiming wrist is in ‘optimal condition’
Former finalist Dominic Thiem will not play the Australian Open next month despite claiming to have recovered from his wrist injury.
Thiem missed much of last season with the problem, with it requiring surgery in the second half of the year.
That left him unable to play Wimbledon or defend his US Open title, and he ha snow confirmed he will now miss his third successive Grand Slam.
“I am now feeling well again, my wrist is in optimal condition and I am practising normally with a very good intensity,” Thiem said on Twitter.
“After the short holidays, my team and I have assessed all matters and we have decided to make some changes to my initial tournament schedule.
“I will start the season in South America at the Cordoba Open in Argentina at the end of January, and will therefore not play this year at the Australian Open.
— Dominic Thiem (@ThiemDomi) December 28, 2021
“I will miss the Australian fans, but I will be back in 2023. We believe this is the right decision in order to have a good return to competition.”
Dominic Thiem reached the final of the Australian Open in 2020 but was agonisingly defeated by Novak Djokovic in five sets.
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