Despite advice from Zverev
No regrets for Thiem: “Would have been a risk”
Dominic Thiem has no regrets about deciding against wrist surgery despite advice from Alexander Zverev. "In the situation at the time, surgery would have been a risk," says Thiem.
Dominic Thiem is still playing Kitzbühel, the US Open and Vienna. Unless an Olympic opportunity opens up at short notice and Andy Murray cancels for Paris. The main reason why the 31-year-old Thiem will end his career on September 3 is that the former US Open winner has not found his old form since injuring his wrist on June 22, 2021. Also because he was never able to use his right wrist as much as before after recovering from the injury.
The former world number three, who has reached three more major finals in addition to the US Open title, has no regrets about avoiding wrist surgery back then. Alexander Zverev, his long-time German tour friend who lost to him in five sets in the 2020 US Open final, still advised Thiem to do so when he commented on his retirement last May.
Zverev's brother Mischa had exactly the same injury ten years ago. "The only difference between my brother and Dominic is that my brother had an operation," Zverev said at the time in Rome. Afterwards, his wrist was "even stronger than before". "I would perhaps like to tell him that he should try again and have the operation."
"We racked our brains about it for a long time"
Thiem didn't take the decision of whether to have surgery or not lightly. "I think I did everything I could for it. The question was always there. We racked our brains over it for a very long time. Right after the injury, of course. We said I'd try conservative treatment, which worked well."
The pain in his hand (returned) at the beginning of 2022. "I talked to Dr. Frederik Verstreken about it for a long time back then," Thiem reported on a conversation with the Belgian specialist. He had great confidence in Verstreken. "In the situation at the time, surgery would have been a risk. The chance of something getting worse was too high," explained Thiem. There are also enough players for whom an operation has not worked.
A lack of sensitivity
However, it is also a fact that the injury on Mallorca was the beginning of the end of a great career. Thiem had recently said in Gstaad that his wrist no longer caused him any pain. "But it lacks feeling, sensitivity. It's not enough for the very top, where everything has to fit." Thiem fans will probably have to ponder for a long time whether an operation would have changed anything.
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