Dominic Thiem was once quickly moving up the scoreboard. While fans held high regard for top-ranked professionals like Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, Thiem stunned many by taking down one and giving a tough competition to the other. Holding a ranking of world no.3 back in 2020, the Austrian announced himself to the world by making it to the finals of the Australian Open that year.

While fans expected continued action from Thiem, they have instead received a major disappointment as the upcoming season’s qualifying entry list made its way on social media.

Dominic Thiem misses a direct spot at the Australian Open 2024

As the authorities began with the final touch-ups of getting the arena ready for the action, tennis fans were served with disappointment as Dominic Thiem’s name didn’t find a direct entry position into the upcoming season’s tournament. Thiem, who presented an impressive performance in the 2020 edition by defeating none other than Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals, also made it to the finals.

Although he faced a tough defeat against Novak Djokovic in the final match, he was favored with high hopes from the fans as the underdog. While the tennis star still holds a chance to pave his way through qualifiers, the situation has stuffed many, as a cloud of questions surrounds his upcoming journey.

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Thiem’s down-trending ranking graph from 2020

Once ranked as one of the world’s top three tennis players, Dominic Thiem’s ranking experienced an evident fall in recent years. As the Austrian wasn’t privileged with a direct entry at the 2024 Australian Open, the curiosity of finding the reason behind this fall made its way into the minds of the fans. In 2021, Thiem struggled with his game along with a wrist injury in June.

While the tennis star decided to prioritize his well-being over stressing himself out to maintain the position, he found himself out of the top 50 rankings. Since then, the 30-year-old’s rankings have been on a consistent downtrend. From a remarkable third place in 2020 to a challenging 15th in 2021, he dropped down to 105th in 2022.

Currently, the tennis star finds himself at number 98th, which is the reason behind his missed spot at the prestigious event. While the charts have decided a difficult start for the Austrian, fans now look forward to how he performs in the qualifiers.

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