Dominic Thiem said Tuesday he would miss next month's Australian Open, delaying further his plans to rejoin after injury "to have a good return to competition".
The 28-year-old 2020 US Open champion, who has been out for six months with a wrist injury, said he now planned to start at the Cordoba Open in Argentina, which begins on January 31.
"My team and I have assessed all matters and we have decided to make some changes to my initial tournament schedule... We believe this is the right decision in order to have a good return to competition," said the 28-year-old in a statement.
The Austrian, ranked 15th in the world, has already pulled out of the ATP Cup, which starts next week, and an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi earlier this month.
Despite pushing back his return further, Thiem, who reached the 2020 Australian Open final, said his wrist was now "in optimal condition" allowing him to practice "normally with a very good intensity".
The Australian Open begins in Melbourne on January 17.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ