Dominic Thiem says he is in "top shape", hopes "it won't be long" before he returns to action
Dominic Thiem has now spent over two months on the sidelines after picking up a wrist injury at the ATP 250 event in Mallorca. The Austrian has also had a terrible year in terms of results, suffering early exits at every tournament barring the Madrid Masters, where he reached the semifinals.
The 27-year-old recently provided an update on his wrist injury. The Austrian said he is in top physical condition and that it won't take him much longer to return to the court.
"I feel in top shape. I was allowed to do everything that didn't put a strain on the wrist," Thiem was quoted as saying by Kleine Zeitung. "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 - hopefully it won't be long before I can come back (and) play right again. Because physically I am in top shape," he added.
Thiem is still harboring hopes of playing in the US Open, where he is the defending champion. But having withdrawn from the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Masters, he faces the prospect of traveling to Flushing Meadows with no matches under his belt.
After the US Open, Thiem will also be defending titles at Indian Wells and Vienna. A good run from now until the end of the season will be crucial in his bid to qualify for the year-end ATP Finals. The 27-year-old has qualified for the season-ending event on five consecutive occasions.
You don't have to make your private life public if you don't want to: Dominic Thiem
During the course of the interaction, Thiem also answered questions about his private life. The Austrian, who is currently in a relationship with Lili-Paul Roncalli, believes fans and the media have to respect a person's wishes to keep their personal life out of the limelight.
"I think you don't have to make everything public if you don't want to," Thiem said. "There are a lot of people who want that - you have to respect that. But I think you have to respect it if someone wants to keep it private."
That said, the 27-year-old has never kept his relationship with Roncalli under wraps. The pair have been pictured together on numerous occasions, including at the Austrian Grand Prix earlier this year.