Thiem proves to himself that he’s back on track

When Dominic Thiem was off the Tour for 10 months due to a wrist injury in 2021, he had one major fear.

Not whether he would recover and come back to the Tour; but rather how much ground others would gain on him while he was away.

It was a legitimate concern. In that time, Carlos Alcaraz emerged on the Tour, seemingly fully formed, a Grand Slam champion at 19 in 2022 and most recently, a Wimbledon winner this summer. Time seems to move fast in tennis; suddenly others are on the scene, with bigger serves, harder shots.

Bublik win a sign of growing efficiency

It has taken Thiem a long time to be able to practice fully and get himself really back in the swing of things but a run to the final in his home tournament of Kitzbuhel in July signalled he’s…