Dominic Thiem gives honest confession about his current form

Dominic Thiem was once one of the best players in tennis. Not only did he reach the top five on the ATP tour, he was good enough to win the 2020 US Open. He was the second seed at the Grand Slam and defeated Daniil Medvedev on his way to beating Alexander Zverev in the final in five sets. Medvedev and Zverev are still playing high-end tennis and could compete for the 2024 US Open. Thiem, however, is almost a forgotten name even though he is only 30 years old.

The main problem with the Austrian has been a wrist injury he suffered at the Mallorca Championships in 2021. He was forced to miss the rest of 2021 after the injury. Even before the wrist issue, though, Thiem had a knee problem and was beginning to not be in the same form that got him the US Open win. As much as the physical issues took a toll, Thiem also struggled with the mental aspect of tennis.

He made his first major final at the French Open in 2018 and then made two more finals at Grand Slams before winning the US Open. However, since winning the Grand Slam, Thiem has appeared in nine majors and has only made it past the second round once when he made the fourth round at the 2021 Australian Open. He has been forced to participate in several Challenger Series events just to get enough points to keep making tournaments.

Dominic Thiem makes a bleak observation

The Austrian is currently ranked No. 91 and he aggravated his right wrist early in the year while practicing, it appears. He took some more time off to heal, but this week he participated in the Estoril Open in hopes of being ready for the French Open in May, though he lost his second match. He did hint earlier in the year that if his form did not improve, he might even consider retirement.

Thiem also made a brutal admission about himself during a press conference ahead of the Estoril Open, though. In fact, his words, while an honest observation about his current form, were quite sad. He appeared to be commenting on a shell of his former self instead of hoping that he would regain the form he had in 2020.

Thiem said, "It’s a different galaxy. It’s a lot of different things. I had a bit more power, more confidence. I simply played better tennis, it was more fluid. There are a lot of differences, but I’ve stopped comparing myself to the player I was before. It’s pointless and I’m trying to do my best with my current situation."

One might wonder why Thiem keeps playing. Likely, he still loves the sport and if he can get back to some more successful ways, he can make a good living. But no one wishes ill-will on someone such as Dominic Thiem who has been a well-liked player. Maybe he can find some more magic again and be dangerous at a future Grand Slam.

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