Dominic Thiem's tournament in further trouble as Gael Monfils withdraws
Following in the footsteps of Novak Djokovic, Dominic Thiem had announced that he would organize a tournament titled 'Thiem's 7' in Austria while the tour is suspended. But after the Adria Tour debacle, Thiem's tourney came under the scanner - and now it is in even more trouble as Frenchman Gael Monfils has canceled his participation due to personal reasons.
As per Eurosport, the 2016 US Open semifinalist Gael Monfils has informed the organizers that he will not participate in the upcoming competition organized by Dominic Thiem. The organizing committee is looking for substitute players now.
Thiem's 7 originally had both Grigor Dimitrov and Borna Coric on their list as well. Even after both Dimitrov and Coric tested positive for COVID-19, the organizers had asserted that they would have no problem hosting the two players if they recovered from the virus within a couple of weeks.
However, they are now planning to include Germany's second-highest ranked singles player, Jan-Lennard Struff, to account for all contingencies. According to sources, Struff has confirmed his participation in the event.
Dominic Thiem receives criticism for traveling during the pandemic
After the COVID-19 break, Dominic Thiem has been the most active player on tour. He won the Generali Austrian Pro Series, seized the Adria Tour trophy in Belgrade, and even showed up at the Ultimate Tennis Showdown in France.
The World No. 3 had recently sent a message to his fans on Instagram, stating that he had taken five tests in the last 10 days, with all of them producing negative results. However, the tennis universe has still questioned Dominic Thiem's approach during these testing times - especially given that Goran Ivanisevic tested positive yesterday despite having had negative results twice previously.
Although four players, including the 2020 Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic, contracted the virus on the Adria Tour, Dominic Thiem seems to be in no mood to cancel his exhibition tournament. There have been no changes in the dates of the event, and the fact that the organizers retained their invitations to Grigor Dimitrov and Borna Coric despite their positive COVID-19 tests raised many eyebrows.
It would be no surprise if players from other countries also refrain from traveling during this period. Gael Monfils has withdrawn from the tournament, and he might be the first of many.
Apart from Dominic Thiem himself, the Austrian's tournament will also feature Matteo Berrettini, Andrey Rublev, Karen Khachanov and Dennis Novak.
The organizers have clarified that only 500 spectators will be present at the venue, and also that they will ensure the strict implementation of all the safety rules and regulations. The tournament will have prize money of 300,000 euros, with Kitzbühel being the venue for the games.
'Thiem's 7' will air live on Austrian TV.