MASON, Ohio — Defending champion Dominic Thiem has decided to retire from the remainder of the season to have surgery on his left wrist and will miss the U.S. Open and rest of the 2021 season, the Austrian announced Friday.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Thiem said he hopes to return to tennis in time for the 2020 season, but his season will be concluded with the Paris Masters in October.
“I have been trying with the doctors to get through the injuries for a long time,” Thiem said. “They diagnosed me with a problem in the wrist. I have been playing with pain, but we couldn’t come up with a solution.”
Thiem joins Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic on the sidelines ahead of the U.S. Open, which starts Aug. 27 in New York. Murray and Nadal have both been sidelined by injuries, but Djokovic said last month he would try to return to the tour for the defense of his U.S. Open title.
The two-time Grand Slam champion hasn’t played since late April, and he’s had surgery on both wrists. He said he’s looking forward to his comeback.
“I still want to play and be ready for the U.S. Open,” Djokovic said. “But I have to take my time, make sure the injury is healed and totally 100 percent healthy.”
Djokovic said he’s still deciding what tournaments he’ll compete in over the remainder of the year.