Dominic Thiem won his first Grand Slam match in more than two years with a straight-set victory over Alexander Bublik at the US Open.
The Austrian won the US Open in 2020 but suffered a serious wrist injury shortly afterwards and struggled to return to his past best.
However, Thiem put in a solid display to beat 25th seed Bublik 6-3 6-2 6-4.
Dominic Thiem gets it done in straight sets. ???? pic.twitter.com/RRdluqWwHZ
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 28, 2023
“I couldn’t have wished for a better place like here with all the memories,” he said.
Thiem’s last win at a Grand Slam came at the 2021 Australian Open, where he reached the fourth round.
The 29-year-old had lost in the first round in his past six Grand Slam appearances.
However, it was fitting that he found his form in New York, the city where he fought back to beat Alexander Zverev and claim a long-awaited Grand Slam title in 2020.
“Today is pretty special. It means a lot to me that this first Grand Slam victory after this injury happened here at the US Open,” Thiem added.
“It was my first major injury on my wrist, which is very important for my game. It just took time to recover and to get the confidence back in the wrist.”