Dominic Thiem won his first ATP Tour-level match in 2024, but he's fully aware that he's miles away from the type of player he was a couple of years ago.
The Austrian's career is a really strange case because he was trending really well at the time when he won his maiden Grand Slam final at the US Open. Things didn't work out well after that, as he injured his wrist the following year, which basically derailed his career.
Ever since he returned from the injury, Thiem has struggled to find his best tennis, and he has never found it again. He's yet to find out because his most recent resume highlights include losses to players ranked outside the Top 200.
He also dealt with some wrist discomfort lately but declared himself injury free after winning the first match at the 2024 Estoril Open.
"I’m no longer injured. I’ve been training a little less hard over the last few weeks. I’m ready for Estoril, we’ll see what happens. I’m not playing tomorrow, so I’ll be ready for Wednesday."
He also talked about his former self, admitting that he's nowhere close to the player he used to be a few years ago. He actually struck a pretty sad tone because he spoke as if he believed that he was never going to reach that level again.
"It’s a different galaxy. It’s a lot of different things. I had a bit more power, more confidence. I simply played better tennis, it was more fluid. There are a lot of differences, but I’ve stopped comparing myself to the player I was before. It’s pointless and I’m trying to do my best with my current situation."
Still, Thiem will attempt to reach his previous level, but he's aware that he may be too far from that at the moment.