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2020 US Open champion Dominic Thiem recently took to Instagram to upload a picture of himself as a toddler. The Austrian congratulated his younger self on his impending tennis accomplishments, before revealing to his fans that he was content with his recovery from the serious wrist injury he suffered last year.
Thiem pulled the tendons on his right wrist during his second-round match at the 2021 Mallorca Championships, a tune-up event to last year's Wimbledon. A few weeks later, the Austrian announced that he would be sidelined for the rest of the 2021 season after undergoing a procedure on his wrist.
Thiem subsequently recovered and looked set to make his return to competitive tennis last month. He, however, suffered a last-minute setback during a practice session ahead of the Cordoba Open, which forced him out for a few more weeks.
Dominic Thiem is now aiming to return to the tennis circuit at the Indian Wells Masters, which is scheduled to kick off next week.
Having suffered a lot in the last few months, he probably felt the need for some positivity in his life and that's exactly what he showcased in his latest Instagram post.
"This kid would be proud!" he wrote alongside a picture of his younger self. "Same but different! We've come a long way!"
The Austrian then asserted that even though he was yet to attain 100% fitness, he was "very happy" with his progress over the last few weeks.
"Very happy with my progress of the last few weeks, still not fully there but definitely on the right way!" he wrote. "Always trying to be the best version of myself. I hope you are too!"
Dominic Thiem faces a tough challenge in his quest to climb back into top 50
Dominic Thiem, who is currently ranked 51, is in desperate need of some ranking points at this month's ATP Masters 1000 events at Indian Wells and Miami. It should be noted that he will be dropping his winner's points from the 2019 Barcelona Open in nearly two months, which puts him in a very vulnerable position.
Thiem will also be dropping his quarterfinalist points from last year's Qatar Open towards the end of this month. He will thus need to win a few matches at the two American Masters events in March to ensure he at least stays in the top 50.
