Former US Open champion Dominic Thiem unsure whether he will play at next month's Australian Open after recovering from a wrist injury; Jennifer Brady has withdrawn from the Grand Slam with a foot injury
Monday 20 December 2021 15:54, UK
Dominic Thiem will decide by the end of December whether to play at the Australian Open after withdrawing from the upcoming ATP Cup and Sydney ATP 250 events due to injury.
The Austrian has not played since suffering a wrist injury at the Mallorca Open in June. He was unable to defend his US Open title this year and also pulled out of the World Tennis Championship exhibition event in Abu Dhabi.
Thiem, 28, said his aim was to play at Melbourne Park in the year's first major, adding his wrist was "almost at 100 per cent".
"After speaking to my team we have decided to return to Austria instead of flying directly to Australia," Thiem wrote on Twitter. "Unfortunately, I caught a cold (and tested negative for COVID-19) while in Dubai and was unable to practise last week.
"I will therefore not be in the physical condition required to be able to play the ATP Cup and Sydney ATP 250. After not competing for the last six months I can't take the risk of coming back too soon and picking up a further injury."
He continued: "Overall, the time I spent in Dubai was great as I have increased the intensity and level of practice. We will make a final decision about my participation by the end of December."
The ATP Cup starts on January 1, while the Sydney ATP 250 tournament begins the following week.
The Australian Open gets underway on January 17 where Novak Djokovic will be defending his men's singles title.
In other news, last year's Australian Open runner-up Jennifer Brady has withdrawn from next month's Grand Slam due to a foot injury.
American Brady reached her first Grand Slam final in February when she lost to Naomi Osaka in straight sets at Rod Laver Arena.
Brady is the latest high-profile player to miss the Grand Slam, with world No 4 Karolina Pliskova, Grand Slam champions Serena Williams, Bianca Andreescu and Roger Federer also absent.
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