Dominic Thiem joins Stan Wawrinka with a wildcard at Madrid Open 2023

Dominic Thiem, the 2020 US Open champion, has been granted a wild card entry for the 2023 Mutua Madrid Open, which will take place from April 24 to May 7 at the Caja Mágica. The Austrian, who is currently ranked No. 101 in the world, will join Stan Wawrinka. Thiem shared this surprising news on his social media.

Dominic Thiem has a strong record at the Madrid event, having reached the final twice - in 2017 and 2018, losing to Nadal and Alexander Zverev respectively. He also made the semi-finals in 2019 and 2021, beating Roger Federer and John Isner along the way. He has won 16 matches at the Caja Mágica, where he enjoys playing on the clay surface.

Thiem has not played much tennis in 2023, as he skipped the Australian Open and most of the hardcourt season due to a wrist injury. He made his comeback at the BMW Open in Munich, where he advanced to the Round of 16.

The Mutua Madrid Open is one of the most prestigious tournaments on the ATP Tour, featuring men’s and women’s events and a total prize of €7.5 million. The tournament will also feature some other wild-card recipients, such as former world No. 3 Stan Wawrinka, Jordanian pioneer Abedallah Shelbayh, and Spanish prodigy Martín Landaluce.

Dominic Thiem advances to second round of Munich Open

Dominic Thiem at BMW Open 2023

Dominic Thiem, a former US Open champion, progressed to the second round of the Munich Open on Tuesday after his opponent, Constant Lestienne, retired mid-match due to injury. Thiem won the first set 6-3 and was leading Ad-40 on his own serve in the second set when Lestienne decided to retire.

Dominic Thiem's comeback to the tour has been notable, having made the semifinals of three tour-level events since his return. The 29-year-old Austrian suffered a wrist injury in 2021, which caused him to miss nine months of action and his ranking fell to 352 last June.

However, his current rank is 101, and he is third on the list of alternates for the main draw of the French Open, an event where he has finished as a runner-up twice.

Thiem recently split with coach Nicolas Massu and joined Benjamin Ebrahimzadeh. The Austrian is looking for his first title since winning the US Open in 2020.

In the second round of the Munich Open, he will face Switzerland's Marc-Andrea Huesler, who defeated Kyle Edmund in his tournament opener. The match against Huesler will be a test for Thiem, who will aim to build on his recent semifinal run and advance further in the Munich Open.