VIENNA: Dominic Thiem, the 2020 U.S. Open champion, has delayed his comeback because of a hurt hand and now plans to make his return at Indian Wells in March.
Thiem hasn’t played in a tournament since June because of a wrist injury and was unable to defend his title at Flushing Meadows last year. He had been planning to play at the Cordoba Open this week but was forced to pull out after feeling pain in the knuckles on his right hand.
Thiem announced Thursday that he has also withdrawn from three additional upcoming South American tournaments in Argentina, Brazil and Chile.
“Training was going well in Vienna and I am so happy that I’ve made a full recovery regarding my wrist. Unfortunately, I have suffered this minor setback in Santiago, which has forced me to temporarily stop training,” Thiem said in a statement. “It’s never easy to come back after being away from competition for seven months. I will follow my doctor’s advice and after resting a couple of days, I will start training again next week. I need some consistent time on-court before making my comeback.”
Thiem said he will spend the next few weeks in Miami to prepare for the Indian Wells tournament, which starts March 7. The Austrian won his first Masters title at Indian Wells in 2019 by beating Roger Federer in the final.