PARIS (AP) -- Reigning U.S. Open champion and two-time French Open finalist Dominic Thiem squandered a two-set lead and is out of Roland Garros.
The fourth-seeded Austrian was beaten 4-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 by 68th-ranked Pablo Andujar in the first round.
“I was not struggling at all with my motivation, but the game was just not there today,” Thiem said. “Like all the shots are missing power. They are not accurate enough. I’m moving not well enough, so everything in my game there are some percents missing.”
It marked the first time in eight appearances at the clay-court Grand Slam that Thiem lost his opening match.
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Andujar also defeated Roger Federer in Geneva earlier this month. It’s the first time in his career that Andujar has come back to win after losing the opening two sets.
Thiem dropped to 11-9 in five-set matches.
Thiem lost the 2018 and 2019 finals to Rafael Nadal.
Thiem hasn’t made a Grand Slam semifinal in three tries since his breakthrough 2020 U.S. Open title.
“It’s amazing to reach such a big goal, but at the same time, something is different after,” he said. “Despite the loss, which hurts so much, I still hope I can bounce back stronger than before. But, well, right now I don’t know when the moment is coming.”
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