Dominic Thiem shuts down comeback season: "We decided to focus completely on preparations"
The 29-year-old from Austria had received a qualifying wild card for next week's Paris Masters.
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Dominic Thiem has decided to end his comeback season in order to have a longer preparation for next year.
The 29-year-old from Austria had received a qualifying wild card for next week's Paris Masters.
"We decided to focus completely on preparations," Thiem told press at this week's Erste Bank Open at Vienna, where he reached the third round.
It helps that he has been told by the ATP that due to the way tournaments count for players with a protected ranking, he should be ranked one or two spots below the Top 100 next week, likely allowing him to enter the Australian Open directly.
Thiem is coming off reaching the semifinals of the Gijon Open and the European Open in Antwerp, his best showings since having wrist surgery in 2021.
"I'm definitely on the right track," he said, though noting that he has been shaky in tight contests. "That has less to do with these weeks and more to do with the fact that I have only been playing at this level [for] four or five months."
That's why he wants to stop now for some extended training, before returning for some exhibition play prior to the start of next season. Thiem was using a protected ranking for Vienna.