Defending champion Dominic Thiem has withdrawn from the 2021 US Open -- and will not compete again this year -- as a result of a right wrist injury.
"It has been a tough decision to make but I know this is what I have to do," Thiem announced on Twitter. "I have a long career ahead of me and it's important not to take risks and rush back -- which I hope you understand."
Thiem, the No. 6-ranked player in the world, won his first Grand Slam tournament at the US Open in 2020, when he defeated Alexander Zverev in the final. In doing so, Thiem became the first player to rally from two sets down to win the US Open since Pancho Gonzales did it in 1949.
This will mark just the seventh time in US Open history that the defending men's champion won't be able to defend his title.
— Dominic Thiem (@ThiemDomi) August 18, 2021
Thiem, 27, initially suffered the wrist injury in June when he was participating in the Mallorca Open. Earlier in August, the Austrian tennis star revealed that he felt pain while he was hitting a ball during a training session. As a result, doctors recommended that he wear a wrist splint for six weeks.
The wrist did not get better, which led to Thiem shutting himself down for the rest of 2021.
Thiem was upended in the first round of the French Open earlier this year when he fell to Pablo Andujar. Following his brief French Open appearance, Thiem played just one more match before injuring his wrist.
