No wildcard for Dominic Thiem: Headwind for Roland Garros organizers
Dominic Thiem will not receive a wildcard for one last Roland Garros appearance in Paris. The organizers are receiving massive criticism from many sides for this decision.
by Daniel Hofmann
last edit:
May 15, 2024, 04:44 pm
In 2018 and 2019, Dominic Thiem reached the final of the French Open. In both years, however, Rafael Nadal was unbeatable. It was not until a year later that he won the Grand Slam title in the final of the US Open, but a final appearance in Paris could be canceled. The organizers gave all wildcards to players from their own country, with the exception of the wildcards reserved for a player from the USA and one from Australia, and did not consider the former third-placed player in the world rankings for a final participation.
This decision was met with criticism on social media. Many fans made their displeasure public under the tournament post on the X platform, including many French users who could not understand this decision. Many fans asked how a two-time finalist on his farewell tour could be missing from this list. The tournament did not issue a statement on the matter.
Hope for main field participation as reserve
Despite the lack of a wildcard, there is still a glimmer of hope for one last main draw participation in the clay court Grand Slam. Dominic Thiem is currently sixth on the reserve list. However, it is not necessarily expected that six players will withdraw from the competition before the start. Jannik Sinner is currently considering not taking part, so five other professionals would have to take the same step.
Here is an overview of the wildcards for the French Open
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