Defending US Open champion Dominic Thiem has withdrawn from the 2021 men's singles tournament due to a wrist injury that will keep him out of action for the remainder of the season.
The Austrian has been out of competition since injuring his right wrist at the Mallorca Open in June, ahead of Wimbledon. Prior to Wimbledon, the 27-year-old had not missed a Grand Slam in his professional career dating back to 2014.
"It was pretty shocking news and surprising for me," Thiem told USOpen.org in a virtual interview Wednesday. "I knew that the US Open was going to be very tough to reach after the injury I faced, but to finish the 2021 season was pretty surprising news. I'm still trying to digest that.
"The chances were very little [to play the US Open], but I love the tournament, so if there was still any chance, I was trying to get there. But in the end there was no chance... and it's a pretty dangerous injury as well, so I need to heal it. That's why the only decision I could take was to first pull out from the Open, and then pull out from the whole season."
As per the ATP Tour, Thiem suffered a detachment of the posterior sheath of the ulnar side of his right wrist in June. His recovery started well, and he was able to get out of a splint and start hitting last week. But the injury was reaggravated as he hit a forehand in training.
"It was one particular shot," he explained, "but the tendon sheath, it's not stable, and that means it can happen at any shot. So there's no chance to compete or even hit the normal forehand."
At the advice of doctors, Thiem will take a conservative view on his recovery in an effort to come back stronger. Though he won't be able to return to defend his maiden Grand Slam crown, Thiem will be watching the US Open from back home in Austria.
"I will watch, definitely," he said. "Probably the US Open is the most special tournament in my career. By far, the biggest success came there... I'm not only a player, I'm also a tennis fan."
He will also aim to use his downtime to focus on some off-court causes, specifically sustainability and ocean conservation.
"I want to use the time in a good way," he said. "There are some causes which are close to my heart, ocean and environmental protection. I really love this stuff and it's my passion outside the court."
Thiem was recently at the Adidas headquarters in Germany, where he learned about some of the company's sustainability practices. Since 2019, much of his on-court apparel has been created from upcycled marine plastic waste.
"This is the type of thing I want to get more involved in and get more information about. The time is right, now, to do it."
As a result of Thiem's withdrawal, Spain's Carlos Taberner moves into the main draw.
