RG cops heat for killing Thiem wild card dream

Roland Garros bosses have been roasted on social media and elsewhere in tennis after refusing to award a wild card entry into the Grand Slam to two-time finalist Dominic Thiem.

The Austrian who played Paris finals in 2018 and 2019 when Rafael Nadal was at the peak of his glories was snubbed when the cards were announced, with the majority going either to Frenchmen or others as part of insider back-scratching deals among the four majors.

Thiem is due to retire aged 30 and with a 2020 US Open title – plus an Australian Open final that year – in hand after  2021 wrist injury failed to heal properly.

The No. 117 stands only a dozen or so spots outside the entry cutoff Thiem has announced he will hang up his racquet after playing his home ATP 500 event in Vienna next October.

Others who did not get a look in from the French federation included former No. 1 Simona Halep and Britain’s former US Open winner Emma Raducanu.

The rejectees will all now have to go through qualifying rounds, winning three matches in order to make it into the main draw for the event which begins next Sunday.

Main photo:- Dominic Thiem crashed out in first round match at Roland Garros 2021 by Roger Parker International Sports Fotos Ltd