"I can challenge anyone with my forehand even with closed eyes" - Dominic Thiem sends hilarious message to Khaby Lame on Instagram

Dominic Thiem recently posted a hilarious story on Instagram. In it, Thiem seemingly highlights how one of his forehand-striking poses is eerily similar to the trademark pose of social media celebrity Khaby Lame.

The Austrian, who pulled out of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship citing a lack of preparedness, accompanied the story with an interesting caption. Thiem also tagged Lame in the story, which was the key factor in deducing the meaning of the post.

"I can challenge anyone with my forehand even with closed eyes," Dominic Thiem wrote.

Dominic Thiem's story on Instagram where he tagged Khaby Lame

In the picture, Thiem's hand positions are uncannily similar to Khaby Lame's signature pose. Having said that, it is not entirely clear if the 28-year-old is solely referring to Lame's gesture with this post.

The former US Open champion recently revealed that his forehand is yet to hit peak levels, which is why he decided to skip the Mubadala World Tennis Championship.

"I only go onto the pitch when I can pull through 100 percent of the forehand and I'm currently at 80," Thiem said in a recent interview.

As such, there is a chance that the World No. 15 decided to hit two birds with one stone with his latest Instagram story -- to highlight the similarity with Lame's pose and to remind detractors that his forehand is still amongst the best in the business.

Khaby Lame is the second-most followed TikToker in the world, with over 100 million followers and nearly two billion likes to his name. The Senegal-born Italian silently mocks over-complicated life hacks in his videos. Lame's videos end with his signature pose, where he spreads his hands open in front of him, pointing out the obvious.

Over time, Lame's pose has become a sensation and a borderline meme, with many celebrities and sportspersons copying the Italian's famous gesture.

Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka also copied Lame's pose to celebrate a goal in his team's latest win over Leeds in the Premier League.

Khaby Lame acknowledges Bukayo Saka's celebration.

Dominic Thiem's "goal" is to be ready in time for the 2022 ATP Cup

Dominic Thiem has been out of action since injuring his wrist at the Mallorca Championships earlier this year. While Thiem was slated to make his much-awaited comeback in Abu Dhabi earlier this week, he opted out at the last minute.

With the Austrian laying emphasis on further training to prepare himself for the 2022 Australian Open, it is inevitable that he will be back very soon.

During a recent interview, the World No. 15 expressed his desire to participate in the ATP Cup next year.

"I am optimistic that I will be there (at the ATP Cup). That is definitely the goal," Thiem said.