Thiem, Schwartzman bid emotional farewells to Roland Garros with qualifying losses

Dominic Thiem and Diego Schwartzman competed at Roland Garros for the final time on Wednesday when they both fell in the second round of qualifying. It was an emotional day in Paris for the Austrian and Argentine, who each climbed inside the Top 10 of the PIF ATP Rankings in their career.

Thiem will not play in the main draw at this year’s event after Finland’s Otto Virtanen defeated the 30-year-old 6-2, 7-5 in front of a packed crowd on Suzanne Lenglen.

Thiem, who announced earlier this month that he will retire at the end of the 2024 season, reached the title match in Paris in 2018 and 2019, while he also advanced to the semi-finals in 2016 and 2017.

Thank you Thiem for all the memories 🧡#RolandGarros @domithiem pic.twitter.com/DzCckqwpjX

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 22, 2024

The former No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings Thiem was presented with a trophy by tournament director Amelie Mauresmo after the match, with a video of his greatest moments at the major played on the big screen.

“It was such a great farewell,” Thiem said on court. “There is a really special relationship with this tournament. I played finals in the juniors and slowly built up a great relationship with the tournament and fans. I had some great results, so many great memories and experiences here on these courts. It is the Grand Slam with my best results, so I really enjoyed every single year of it.”

The 31-year-old Schwartzman, who this month announced he will retire on home soil next February in Argentina, suffered a heartbreaking loss to Quentin Halys. The Frenchman escaped the former No. 8 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(10-7) after three hours and five minutes. An emotional Schwartzman then addressed the crowd and said his final goodbyes.

“The last match here shows how I played in my entire career,” Schwartzman said regarding his fighting spirit. “Roland Garros for me is very special. It’s not easy playing against a French guy and I felt like I was at home… It’s a different year for me, very emotional. But I will remember [this] forever.”

An emotional Diego Schwartzman at the end of his match 🩵#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/xr9ocHHU3L

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 22, 2024

Schwartzman reached the semi-finals at the clay-court major in 2020 and also enjoyed two quarter-final runs (2018, 2021).

In other action, the 2023 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champion Hamad Medjedovic defeated five-time tour-level finalist Filip Krajinovic 7-5, 7-6(2). The Serbian Medjedovic arrived in Paris off the back of a run to the third round in Rome, where he won a set against Daniil Medvedev.

Frenchman Geoffrey Blancaneaux advanced, defeating Croatian Duje Ajdukovic 7-5, 6-4, while Briton Billy Harris clawed past France’s Manuel Guinard 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(10-4). Argentine Facundo Bagnis, who has reached the second round at the major three times, beat countryman Juan Manuel Cerundolo 6-4, 6-2.

Japan’s Shintaro Mochizuki dispatched Italian Stefano Napolitano 6-3, 6-2 and Monegasque Valentin Vacherot overcame Frenchman Enzo Couacaud 4-6, 6-3, 7-5. Spain’s Alejandro Moro Canas sunk France’s Maxime Janvier 6-3, 6-4, while Italian Mattia Bellucci defeated former World No. 31 Lloyd Harris 6-1, 7-6(9).