The first day of the 2021 French Open witnessed a massive upset with fourth-ranked Dominic Thiem being knocked out in the first round of the tournament.
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The first day of the 2021 French Open saw a shocking result with fourth seed Dominic Thiem being crashing out in the first round. Thiem, a two-time finalist, squandered a two-set lead to lose 4-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 to 35-year-old Pablo Andujar of Spain. This was the first time in Thiem’s playing career that he has suffered a loss in the first round at the French Open. Thiem is the reigning US Open champion and his exit has already thrown open the men’s draw in the French Open.
Apart from Thiem, Alexander Zverev survived elimination. The German battled back from two sets down to beat compatriot Oscar Otte 3-6, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-0. It was Zverev’s seventh win from as many five-set matches at Roland Garros.
When asked about the loss, Thiem struggled to explain the main factors. “Losing after being two sets to zero up, it’s very strange to me. I have to think about what’s wrong at the moment,” Thiem said. This is not the first time that Andujar has defeated a major opponent. Recently, in the Geneva Open, he beat Roger Federer.
World number five Stefanos Tsitsipas rounded off the day with a 7-6 (8/6), 6-3, 6-1 over Jeremy Chardy. The Greek is widely tipped as a potential champion if Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic falters. However, there was nobody inside the court as the match started just before a 9 PM COVID-19 curfew.
In news outside of the court, Naomi Osaka was fined USD 15,000 for skipping the French Open press conference. She refused to take part in her mandatory press conference after her first-round victory on Sunday. On the other hand, she gave on-court and television interviews. Osaka had said she would not participate in any press conferences citing their effects on her mental health.
In a statement, the organizers warned of more substantial fines and future suspensions if Osaka repeats violations.
