Dominic Thiem’s injury in 2021 was one of the most heart-shattering stories in recent times. The Austrian’s agony started from his beloved French Open, where he suffered a round-one exit. Close to a yearlong hiatus later, the former number 3 returned, hoping to find his touch again. Little did he know about the long grind awaiting him.

The next few tournaments saw him struggle to notch up wins and often fall short of big wins. However, the recent inroads saw Thiem return to the top 100 of the ATP ranking. Thiem would look to carry forward the momentum into the next season and mark his resurgence in style.

Dominic Thiem is likely to register a strong 2024 season

With gradual improvements, Thiem has been looking better with every passing day. The process has been long, but it seems like things are finally working out for the 30-year-old. Here are 3 reasons why one can expect a strong 2024 showing from Thiem:

1. Strong performances against top players

Thiem might not have had any big wins to his name recently. However, he has pushed some top-ranked players to the edge. During the Madrid Open in May, Stefanos Tsitsipas needed a final set tie-break to defeat the Austrian. Thiem’s forehand looked as good as it did in years as he almost scored a landmark victory. He also faced a similarly close defeat against the Greek at Wimbledon and gave Holger Rune a tough fight at the Paris Masters recently.

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While facing the top guns, Thiem showed resilience in big points and much more promising rally tolerance. His second serve did not let him down in key moments and the one-handed backhand, when on, caused havoc on the court.

Teary-Eyed Dominic Thiem Sheds Light on His Painful Journey After a Narrow Escape at European Open

2. Improved results in Grand Slams

Thiem’s results in the majors have been underwhelming in the last three years. However, there were plenty of positives if we focus on the last 3 Slams. He lost a five-set battle at the Roland Garros round 1 this year against a defiant clay courter in Pedro Cachin. After a clay-court epic, Thiem produced another five-set box office performance at the Wimbledon against Stefanos Tsitsipas. He ended on the losing side again, but going toe-to-toe against a big server on rapid-fire Wimbledon grass was a big positive for the Austrian.

Back-to-back spirited performances went in vain for Thiem, but the wait was finally over. He ended his drought of not winning a best-of-five-sets match at the US Open. In the first-round battle against an in-form Alexander Bublik, Thiem registered a stunning straight-set win and hinted at signs of a comeback. However, the run did not last long as he was forced to retire against Ben Shelton owing to stomach bugs in the next round.

3. Improved serving numbers

Serving numbers are extremely important reflections of player performances, especially with the rise of big servers in tennis. Thiem’s 2023 season showcased a spike in his service games won record from 77.7% in 2022 to 82.2% in 2023 which is pretty close to his career average of 82.7%. Given the scale of improvement this season, Thiem can aim for another 2% jump that would take pressure off him during return games.

Moreover, Thiem has been able to win plenty of free points of his serve this season which wasn’t the case last year. By doing so, he allows himself to recharge his batteries for the key return points.

(To know more about Dominic Thiem’s fascinating journey, tune in to the ESFanCast, LIVE this Tuesday at 4:00 AM ET. We sit down with the former World No.3 and Grand Slam champion who has stunned some of the greats of the game.)

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