Dominic Thiem hasn't entered 2024 on a high note, but the Austrian got a lucky break regarding his participation at the Australian Open.
The struggles of Dominic Thiem have been real, more than real, actually. It's been basically a nightmare as he's continuously failed to reach the same kind of level he had before his wrist injury.
He's essentially struggled to keep himself in the Top 100 on the ATP Tour, as strange as that sounds. Due to his ranking plummeting because of his struggles, Thiem was facing the prospect of having to play the qualifiers for the first Grand Slam of the year.
It's a stark contrast to where his career is right now compared to a few years ago when he stood in the final and actually led 2-1 in sets against Novak Djokovic.
In any case, Thiem, much like Raducanu, won't have to play the qualifiers in the end. He will be part of the main draw as Reilly Opelka withdrew, pushing him into the main draw as a direct entry.
It's a huge relief for the Austrian because not only has he struggled overall, but he's not been good to start this year, either. Brisbane International was the first event he played, and he barely pulled through the qualifiers to make the main draw.
The draw gave him Rafael Nadal in the first round, which is an amazing and symbolic throwback to their battles at Roland Garros, but Thiem lost the match in straight sets.
He kind of lingered around in the opening set but then got beaten by Nadal in the second set. It wasn't a pretty sight, and with that level, there are serious doubts that Thiem would have been able to qualify at all.
This way, he'll at least get a chance to play one match, and it's a huge question mark how far he'll be able to make it at the event.
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