FILE PHOTO: Tennis - ATP Masters 1000 - Paris Masters - AccorHotels Arena, Paris, France - November 1, 2023 Austria's Dominic Thiem reacts during his round of 32 match against Denmark's Holger Rune REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq/File Photo
(Reuters) - Dominic Thiem, U.S. Open winner in 2020, has secured a place in the main draw of the Australian Open after the withdrawal of Reilly Opelka, the tournament organisers confirmed on Friday.
Thiem, who lost to Rafal Nadal 7-5 6-1 in the first round of the Brisbane International on Tuesday, will now enter the first round of the Australian Open which begins on Jan. 14 and avoids the qualifiers.
The 30-year-old Austrian broke the Grand Slam stranglehold of Roger Federer, Nadal and Novak Djokovic by winning the 2020 U.S. Open but a wrist injury the following year sidelined him for months.
Thiem also reached the Australian Open final in 2020, losing to Djokovic. Now ranked 98th, Thiem won his first match at a Grand Slam since 2021 at the U.S. Open in August last year before losing to Alexander Bublik in the second round.
(Reporting by Trevor Stynes and Tommy Lund; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
