Wrist surgery “was risky at the time”

Dominic Thiem is still playing in Kitzbuhel, the US Open and Vienna. Unless an Olympic opportunity opens up soon and Andy Murray cancels Paris.

The main reason Thiem, who turned 31 on September 3, is ending his career is that the former US Open winner has not regained his old form since injuring his wrist on June 22, 2021. Also, after recovering from the injury, he has never been able to use his right wrist as he was before.

Zverev advised Thiem to undergo surgery.

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The former world number three, who has reached three other major finals in addition to the US Open title, has no regrets about avoiding wrist surgery. Alexander Zverev, his old friend on the German tour who lost to him in five sets in the 2020 US Open final, still advised Thiem to do so when commenting on his resignation in May.

Zverev's brother, Mischa, suffered the exact same injury 10 years ago. “The only difference between my brother and Dominic is that my brother had surgery,” Zverev said in Rome. After that, his wrist was “stronger than before.” “Maybe I would tell him to try again and have surgery.”

“The potential for it to get worse was very high.”

Asked by APA on Monday in Kitzbühel, Thiem had not made a decision on whether he would undergo surgery or whether it would be easy. “I think I did everything I could for it. The question was in the air. It bothered us for a long time. Of course, right after the injury. We said I would try it conservatively, which worked out well.”

At the beginning of 2022 the pain in my hand came back (again). “I talked to Dr. Frederik Verstreken about this for a long time,” Thiem said in a conversation with the Belgian specialist. He has great confidence in Verstreken. “In the situation at that time, the operation would have been too risky,” Thiem explained. There are also enough players for whom the operation is no longer successful.

But it is also true that the injury in Mallorca was the beginning of the end of a great career. Recently, Thiem said in Gstaad that his wrist no longer hurts him. “But there is a lack of feeling and sensitivity. There is not enough at the top, where everything has to be right.” Thiem's ​​fans will probably wonder for a long time whether the surgery will change anything.