Defending champion Dominic Thiem has withdrawn from the U.S. Open as he recuperates from a nasty right wrist injury he suffered at the Mallorca Open at the end of June.
In an Instagram post on Wednesday, he also said he would be out for the rest of 2021.
“My wrist got a little bit worse again,” Thiem said. “I was following all the advices, wearing a splint, starting to mobilize and strengthen the wrist again. But last week I played one forehand and I felt similar pain like when it happened back in Mallorca. I went to my doctors again and after long talks and explanations we decided — I hope I have a long career ahead— we decided to give it another chance with conservative therapy.”
Thiem was playing Adrian Mannarino at Mallorca when he stretched out to hit what seemed to be a routine forehand. He grabbed his wrist after the shot, wincing in pain, and withdrew.
In an Instagram post after consulting with doctors, Thiem said: “Tests found that there is a ‘detachment of the posterior sheath of the ulnar side of the right wrist.’”
Since he won’t be playing again until the start of 2022 at the earliest, Thiem said he would be devoting time to “following other passions: sustainability, nature, protection of environment, do some good things there.”
The Open announced its wild cards on Wednesday and it came as no surprise that 41-year-old Venus Williams got one. The two-time Open champion’s ranking has fallen to 112, outside No. 104 required for automatic entry.
Coco Vandeweghe, once ranked as high as No. 9 in the world, was also given one after her ranking fell to 160. Vandeweghe suffered a freak injury last August when a soup bowl she had been warming in a microwave exploded in her left hand.
Among men receiving wild cards were Americans Jenson Brooksby, who has had an outstanding summer, Brandon Nakashima and veteran Jack Sock.
Osaka tops Gauff in return
Down a set and a break to 17-year-old Coco Gauff, Naomi Osaka fought back to pull out a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win at the Western & Southern Open on Wednesday in Mason, Ohio, her first WTA Tour event since the French Open in late May._AP
