“Amazing and pretty special” : Thiem proves to himself that he’s back on track
The former champion won his first match in a slam since the Australian Open of 2021
Dominic Thiem, US Open 2023 | © Chryslène Caillaud / Panoramic
When Dominic Thiem was off the Tour for 10 months due to a wrist injury in 2021, he had one major fear.
Not whether he would recover and come back to the Tour; but rather how much ground others would gain on him while he was away.
It was a legitimate concern. In that time, Carlos Alcaraz emerged on the Tour, seemingly fully formed, a Grand Slam champion at 19 in 2022 and most recently, a Wimbledon winner this summer. Time seems to move fast in tennis; suddenly others are on the scene, with bigger serves, harder shots.
Bublik win a sign of growing efficiency
It has taken Thiem a long time to be able to practice fully and get himself really back in the swing of things but a run to the final in his home tournament of Kitzbuhel in July signalled he’s back. And on Monday at the US Open, he recorded his first Grand Slam win since the Australian Open in 2021.
His 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 victory over Alexander Bublik was impressive in its efficiency and the level of performance will have convinced him, more than ever, that he’s back.
“It was amazing,” she said. “Today is pretty special, I haven’t won a Grand Slam match since Australia 2021, so that’s a very long time. I couldn’t have wished for a better place like here, with all the memories and past experiences here, some very good ones, also some rough ones especially on this court, I’m super happy.
Ranked 352 at one stage, Thiem’s win over Bublik means he’ll rise to around No 71, heading back toward the upper echelons of the sport. The road back has been long but the rewards are good.
“It was very difficult,” he admitted. “Was my first major injury, on my wrist, which is very important for the game, it just took time to recover, to get the confidence back in the wrist, I was out for 10 months, all the other players improved, I was not able to practice well, but now I’m back on track. Time to enjoy a bit and then focus on the next round.”
Importance of run on home soil
Thiem said reaching the final in Kitzbuhel had been key to reinforcing the belief that the results, in big events, would come.
“The mental side was not that easy as restore the arm was. Was not doing the same job I was used to before the injury, so that was not easy.
“With every success, with every match, especially with bigger successes or better weeks like I had in Austria when I played my first finals or also here, back to winning ways in Grand Slams, it helps a lot on the mental side and to get the full trust again in the wrist. And, yeah, that it does 100 percent what I want with the forehand.”
Thiem fresh after not playing warm-up events
Once upon a time, Thiem would have got back on the horse immediately after his run in Kitzbuhel. No one liked playing tournament after tournament more than him when he was in his prime. But with age comes a little wisdom, and in this case, a little fortune.
Exhausted from his efforts in Kitzbuhel, where the demands on his time from media, organisers, fans and everyone involved is high, he needed a week off. His ranking was also too low to get into the main draw in Cincinnati and he wasn’t offered a wildcard. And when he did travel to the United States, intending to play in Winston-Salem, he got sick on the journey and needed a few extra days.
Shelton the next big test for Thiem
The result; a fresh Thiem who was too strong for Bublik and who now plays the talented American Ben Shelton, a big-server who will test that Thiem wrist and his mental strength even more.
I played him on clay, but this was just, I guess, his first clay court tournament ever or something. On hard, I guess it’s a completely different game. He played quarters in the Australian Open. He had some great results on hard court.
In general, I’m looking forward a lot to that match. He’s a great guy. He’s unbelievable athlete. I really love to watch him. Yeah, I guess that one big thing gonna be the return again. He’s serving incredible.
Today I was returning well, so I try to do that in the second round as well.
