Dominic Thiem receives last minute wildcard to Monte-Carlo Masters 2023
Dominic Thiem recently received a last-minute wildcard for the 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters, along with Lorenzo Sonego.
The withdrawal of Gael Monfils and Fabio Fognini opened up opportunities for Thiem and Sonego to participate in the tournament. Jack Draper initially received a wildcard for the Monte-Carlo Masters, but he moved up to the main draw after Monfils' withdrawal.
Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz are among the other notable absentees from the tournament, as the Spanish duo had to withdraw due to injuries.
Despite not receiving wildcards initially, Thiem and Sonego will now participate in the ATP Masters 1000 tournament.
Dominic Thiem is currently competing in the Estoril Open, where he will face Frenchman Quentin Halys in the last-eight on Friday, April 7.
The Monte-Carlo Masters will take place from April 9 to April 16, and Thiem will be joining top-ranked players such as Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev in the tournament.
Dominic Thiem reaches first quarterfinal of the season at Estoril Open
Dominic Thiem reached his first quarterfinal of the season at the Estoril Open after defeating American Ben Shelton 6-2, 6-2. Thiem produced a confident display against Shelton, smashing the ball off both wings to secure his first consecutive tour-level victories since reaching the Antwerp semifinals in October.
Thiem's record for the year improved to 3-8 with the win, and he will look to build on this victory as he continues his campaign on clay, a surface on which he has historically excelled. He reached the Roland Garros final in both 2018 and 2019 and has won 10 of his 17 tour-level titles on clay.
Thiem will face Quentin Halys in the quarterfinals, with the former World No. 3 looking to extend his winning streak. If he reaches the semi-finals, Thiem will re-enter the Top 100 in the ATP rankings.
Shelton, the World No. 39, was making his tour-level debut on clay this week at the Estoril Open. The 20-year-old has enjoyed a strong start to the season, highlighted by his run to the quarterfinals at the Australian Open. However, he was no match for Thiem's commanding display on Thursday.