"Dominic Thiem's case is unforgivable": Tennis fans furious over French Open's "shocking" decision of no wildcard to 2-time finalist before retirement

Dominic Thiem being seemingly snubbed by the French Open hasn’t gone down well with tennis fans. Thiem, who is competing in his final season, was not granted a wildcard entry to the upcoming event, which several fans deemed “disrespectful.”

The wild cards for the 2024 French Open (May 26-June 9) were announced on Tuesday, May 14. Several French tennis players made the cut, while numerous prominent names missed out. On the women’s side, 2018 champion Simona Halep, who recently resumed her campaign after her prolonged doping suspension, was denied a wildcard.

Emma Raducanu, who is four withdrawals away from the main draw, too, was not awarded a direct entry. Former World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki did not appear on the list either.

On the men’s side, Dominic Thiem and Diego Schwartzman, who are set to retire soon, missed out on the wildcards. Schwartzman is a former semifinalist at the French Open (2020).

Meanwhile, Thiem holds an envious record at the tournament. The Austrian made back-to-back finals in 2018 and 2019, famously defeating Novak Djokovic en route to the 2019 title clash before stretching eventual champion Rafael Nadal to four sets.

Dominic Thiem, ranked No. 117, is presently six places shy of the main draw and may need to compete in the qualifying rounds. Tennis fans were thus outraged by the French Open’s decision to deny the 2020 US Open champion a direct entry.

"I don’t have any words tbh. This is a shocking and disrespectful decision but coming from a french tournament this is not really surprising after all…" one fan said on X.

"I’m sorry but Thiem’s case is absolutely unforgivable. Absolute non sense from the French Tennis Federation," journalist Morgado chimed in.

"It's an absolute DISGRACE. I'll never forgive them for this An injustice of the highest order," yet another fan wrote.

Dominic Thiem, who has struggled with a wrist injury, hasn’t won a match at the French Open since his loss to Diego Schwartzman in the 2020 quarterfinals. Tennis fans, however, opined that the 30-year-old deserved a better goodbye, given his past achievements.

"That is awful. Some of the best most exciting matches there have been with him against the big 3. Shame on them," one fan said.

"This is a bit shameless mate," another individual opined.

"@rolandgarros this lacks class, empathy, and respect. Thiem deserved one last round Porte d'Auteuil without going through qualification. Triste France," one fan echoed.

"Worst news of the day. @rolandgarros should be shamed into some kind of apology or decision reversal if that’s possible.. absolutely shameful that 2-time finalist who was once dubbed the Clay Prince @domithiem doesn’t get a wildcard in his final year," yet another fan wrote.

---

Dominic Thiem on his retirement: "I was thinking about this decision for a very long time"

Dominic Thiem pictured at the 2020 US Open

Earlier this month, Dominic Thiem announced that he is set to draw the curtain on his career by the end of 2024. The Austrian, who’s had to deal with a wrist injury since 2021, hinted that the injury was the primary reason for his decision.

"I'm going to finish my career at the end of this season and there are some reasons behind it. Firstly of course, my wrist, it's not exactly the way it should be," he said on social media. "The second reason is my inner feeling. I was thinking about this decision for a very long time."

The former World No. 3 earned several accolades over the years – he featured in four Grand Slam finals, winning his final one at the 2020 US Open. He won 16 other titles, including the 2019 Indian Wells Masters, beating Roger Federer in the final.

Thiem is also the only player besides Andy Murray to beat the Big 3 (Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic) at least five times each.

"I was also thinking about my whole journey as a tennis player which was incredible. I had success, I won trophies I really never dreamt of," Thiem said about his glorious journey.