Thiem’s losing streak continues
It all used to come so easily for Dominic Thiem on a tennis court — his powerful forehand, his elegant backhand, his hit-which-shot-when calculations, all fine-tuned to the point of a title at the US Open and three other grand slam final appearances, including two at Roland Garros.
Nowadays, even though the pain from last year’s torn tendon in his right wrist is no longer there, the strokes and, most disconcertingly, the wherewithal, are not what they once were, to the extent that his first-round exit at the French Open yesterday was his 10th consecutive loss.
The situation has become dire enough that Thiem, a 28-year-old Austrian once ranked No3 but now No194, acknowledged after being beaten 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 by Hugo Dellien that perhaps it’s time for him to head to the lower-level Challenger Tour to get a win and gain some confidence.
His quick departure was not the only noteworthy development on a cloudy, occasionally drizzly day 1 at the year’s second major tennis tournament, which welcomed back prepandemic sights and sounds of full attendance and no masks in the stands.
Carlos Alcaraz, the 19-year-old from Spain who is seeded No 6 and a popular pick to win his first grand slam trophy, advanced just as cleanly and quickly as expected against ‘‘lucky loser’’ Juan Ignacio Londero 6-4, 6-2, 6-0 in the day’s last match at Court Philippe Chatrier.
Another teen, American Coco Gauff, 18, also moved on, beating Canadian qualifier Rebecca Marino 7-5, 6-0.
Given Thiem’s troubles — sure, he was the runner-up to Rafael Nadal in Paris in 2018 and 2019, and to Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open in 2020, but his last victory came in May 2021 — there were other results that probably were more surprising.
Chiefly in that category would be No 6 seed Ons Jabeur’s 3-6, 7-6 (4), 7-5 loss to 56th-ranked Magda Linette, of Poland.
Jabeur, a Tunisian who is the first Arab woman to win a WTA title and first to reach a grand slam quarterfinal, said: ‘‘I was expecting myself to go far in this tournament.’’
As were others. That’s because Jabeur began the day with a tour-leading 17 wins on clay this season, including taking the title at the Madrid Open and reaching the final of the Italian Open.
Another top-10 women’s seed — and the 2016 champion at the place — was sent home when Garbine Muguruza lost 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 to 46thranked Kaia Kanepi, of Estonia. Muguruza beat Serena Williams in the final at Roland Garros six years ago and Venus Williams in the final at Wimbledon in 2017, but she now has lost her opening match in Paris two straight years.
Avoiding that sort of result was the men’s No 9 seed, Felix Auger-Aliassime, who took care of two missing items on his resume in one afternoon: He picked up a French Open victory for the first time in three tries and he won a match after dropping the opening two sets.
The 20-year-old Canadian came back to eliminate Juan Pablo Varillas, a qualifier from Peru, 2-6, 2-6, 6-1, 6-3, 6-3.
Other winners included 2018 French Open runner-up Sloane Stephens, No23 Jil Teichmann and No 26 Sorana Cirstea among the women; No3 Alexander Zverev, No18 Grigor Dimitrov, No 23 John Isner and No 26 Botic Van de Zandschulp among the men.