Why Dominic Thiem was turned away from the Australian Open
With the Australian Open just around the corner, players across the ATP and WTA tours are gearing up for another shot at Grand Slam glory.
Many see it as the most accessible of the four majors, largely due to where it falls on the calendar.
The brief off-season means players have about two weeks of tournament play before arriving in Melbourne, and that can leave even the top names feeling underprepared and lacking momentum.
This is often reflected in early-round upsets. Last year saw plenty of surprising results, many of which were likely influenced by this short turnaround.
This time around, though, one former major winner won’t get the chance to be part of that narrative. His application was denied earlier this week.
Andreescu pulls out of Australian Open qualifiers
With Viktoria Azarenka also set to miss the Australian Open, it already feels like the tournament will be short of a few big names this year.
No official reason has been given for her absence.
Andreescu has yet to comment on why she decided against entering the qualifying rounds. But earlier in the year, she spoke about how it felt like a “blow to the ego” to have to play qualifying matches again.
That may have played a part in her decision, as it’s now been seven years since she captured her only major title at Flushing Meadows.
Bianca Andreescu makes plans instead of playing Australian Open qualifying
What further solidifies Andreescu’s absence from Australia is the fact that, during qualifying, she has instead opted to play a W35 tournament.
The Canadian will head to Bradenton in Florida, where the world number 228 will be the second seed.
This perhaps contradicts the earlier point about her lack of interest in qualifying, instead suggesting that she would prefer to continue boosting her fitness rather than go all out on one of the biggest stages in tennis.
This marks a far smarter move for her, which could get her back to the top at last.
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