Thiem headlines men’s qualifying on his Roland-Garros farewell
The Austrian is playing Roland-Garros for the last time, before his retirement at the end of this year
Dominic Thiem, twice a runner-up at Roland-Garros and one of the best clay-court players of his generation, is the star name in qualifying for the men’s singles, the draw for which was made on Sunday.
The 30-year-old Austrian, twice beaten in the final by Rafael Nadal, has announced he will retire at the end of this year, having struggled to regain his former level after a serious wrist injury.
Now ranked 117 and having been overlooked for a wildcard, Thiem will begin against Italian Franco Agamenone in round one, looking for one last hurrah at the place where he made his name.
Chile’s Christian Garin is the No 1 seed, the world No 100 taking on Frenchman Ugo Blanchet in his first match.
Diego Schwartzman, a former Roland-Garros semi-finalist and due to retire, in 2025, while Albert Ramos-Vinolas, Thiago Monteiro and Lucas Pouille are other familiar names in the draw.