Dominic Thiem withdraws from Monte Carlo and won't challenge Nadal and Djokovic

World no. 4 Dominic Thiem has withdrawn from the season's second Masters 1000 tournament in Monte Carlo, needing more time to recover and get back at 100%.

Struggling with a minor foot injury, the US Open champion decided not to travel to Miami, staying at home and working on his game ahead of beloved clay swing that should have started in Monte Carlo. Still, the Austrian will skip the clay season's start, skipping Monte Carlo Open for the first time after making a debut in 2014.

Interestingly, one of the most accomplished clay courters of the previous half a decade hasn't played well in the Principality, winning only six matches from six Monte Carlo trips and reaching only one quarter-final.

Thiem suffered early losses in 2014 and 2015 against the French rivals, with Rafael Nadal halting him in 2016 and 2018 in straight sets. Two years ago, Dominic suffered a heavy loss against Dusan Lajovic, getting broken five times and never finding his rhythm.

The Austrian should return at the ATP 250 event in Belgrade later in April, battling against Novak Djokovic and seeking the season's first title. Thiem hasn't made a good start of the season, winning only five out of nine matches and suffering early losses in Melbourne, Doha and Dubai.