Dominic Thiem admits 2021 has been "a bad year", but hopes "six or seven good years" will follow
Dominic Thiem's 2021 season has been a disaster from start to finish. The Austrian had hoped to kick on after winning his first Major at the US Open last year, but after a disappointing first half of 2021, he was forced to end his season due to a wrist injury.
The 28-year-old ended up missing both Wimbledon and the US Open after he injured his wrist at the ATP 250 event in Mallorca in July. In a recent interview with Haute, Thiem revealed that he was very disappointed with his 2021 season, but hopes to bounce back strongly in 2022.
"The last six years have been unbelievable," he told Heute. "It's been a bad year now, but I hope that another six or seven good years will follow."
Thiem, who is working with Andy Murray's former fitness trainer Jez Green, said he is making steady progress in his recovery.
"I'm working hard on my return, making little progress every day," he said.
Thiem is set to return to action at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship exhibition event in Abu Dhabi at the end of the year, as he ramps up his preparations for the 2022 Australian Open.
"Looking forward to returning to my old touring life" - Dominic Thiem
During the interview, Dominic Thiem also revealed that he missed competing on the tour regularly, and expressed his desire to return to a normal routine.
"I'm really looking forward to my old touring life. I'm missing my usual tennis rhythm," Thiem said.
Thiem is really missed from the top of men's tennis. Not because the rest of the guys aren't great but because tennis is a game of matchups and Thiem slotted in into quite an importance place in the matchup balance and competitiveness of the top 10
Shifting his focus to the ATP Finals, Thiem said he would love to be able to play the season-ending event next year. But the Austrian is wary of the challenges that lie in store.
Thiem qualified for five consecutive editions of the event and reached the final in both 2019 and 2020, but missed out this year due to injury.
"That [qualifying for the ATP Finals] would be a dream. But it will be a rocky road," he said.
The Austrian had picked Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev as his favourites for the ATP Finals title, but they were beaten in the semifinals and final respectively by Alexander Zverev.