Dominic Thiem withdraws from Indian Wells and Miami as he targets clay return

Dominic Thiem has pulled out of this month’s tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami in another delay to his comeback.

The former US Open champion has not competed since suffering a wrist injury in Majorca last June.

He had originally hoped to return for the Australian Open but will not now be back on a match court until the clay season next month.

The 28-year-old Austrian, whose ranking has dropped to 50, said on Instagram: “Hello everybody, I wanted to give you a quick update.

“I had really good practice weeks. The wrist is perfectly fine, the hand is getting better and better, but still I decided to pull out of Indian Wells and Miami to start on the clay court. It’s still the surface where I feel the most comfortable so I think it’s the perfect time to start there.”

The BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells begins on Thursday, with Daniil Medvedev the top seed and Rafael Nadal bidding to win a fourth consecutive title to start the season.

Britain’s Cameron Norrie defends the title he brilliantly won in the delayed 2021 event last autumn.

Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska, who finished runner-up at the WTA tournament in Lyon on Sunday after fleeing her home city of Odessa, has been awarded a wild card into the women’s event.

Join the home of live sport for just £25 per month. Get instant access to the BT Sport app, with no contract and no BT broadband required.