The US Open champion had planned to skip the Olympics this year after opting to play in his home tournament - the Austrian Open in Kitzbühel - instead.

The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) 250 event was scheduled to clash with the Olympics, before it was delayed until September and the Olympics pushed back to 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Thiem claims this has worked in his favour as he now plans to represent his country in the Japanese capital.

"I got lucky - this year I wouldn’t have been able to play because of Kitzbühel," said Thiem, who had declared his intention to compete at Paris 2024 in May last year, in comments reported by Austrian journalist Nikolaus Fink.

"To be honest, I changed my mind.

"It would be a dream to participate in the Olympics.

"I would love to play there next year."

The 27-year-old, who turned professional in 2011, has yet to compete at an Olympics.

In 2015, Thiem said he was "not a big fan" of the Games and that they were not the "main priority" for him.

But after witnessing Britain’s Andy Murray beat Argentinian Juan Martin del Porto 7-5, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 in an enthralling men’s singles final to win Rio 2016 gold, Thiem gained an appetite for the competition.

"I saw the emotions of Murray and del Potro," added Thiem.

"Maybe I can play three Olympic Games in my career."

Thiem has 17 ATP titles to his name and has also been working with double Olympic champion Nicolás Massú since 2019.

The Chilean remains the only man to win both singles and doubles gold at the same Games having made history at Athens 2004.