PARIS: For quite some time, there's usually been a sense of certainty at the French Open.
That was particularly so on the men's side, with Rafael Nadal ruling over the red clay of Roland-Garros the way no one has dominated any tournament in tennis history. He would go there, he would win nearly every match he played — how's 112-4 for a career record? — and he would head home with another trophy, 14 in all.
Simultaneously simple and spectacular. So, too, albeit over a much shorter span, is Iga Swiatek's recent control over the women's event, claiming four of five championships, including the past three.
And now? As play begins Sunday, things are less clear, and not just because the 38-year-old Nadal is no longer competing and will be honored that day at Court Philippe-Chatrier. The owner of 22 Grand Slam titles retired last season, playing for the final time at the Davis Cup. His final French Open ended with a loss to Alexander Zverev last May and his final Roland-Garros appearance ended with an exit in singles against Novak Djokovic at the Summer Olympics, followed by an exit in doubles alongside Carlos Alcaraz.
There could be some new champions at the French Open
“Will it be very interesting? I think so,” said Grigor Dimitrov, a quarterfinalist at last year's French Open and previously a semifinalist at the other majors. “Could we see potentially some different winners and different results? Absolutely.”
He was speaking specifically about the men's bracket. But he could have been talking about the women, too.
“There's ... 20 different people that you wouldn't be surprised if they end up winning the tournament,” said Madison Keys, the American whose first Slam trophy arrived at the Australian Open in January. “Part of it is because we've kind of lost some of our legends, obviously. Like, there's no longer Serena Williams in every draw, where you just assume she's going to win."
Swiatek, 23, did hold that status for a while but she's been through a trying spell since last year's triumph in Paris. Not only hasn't she lifted a trophy since then, but she hasn't reached a final — and even clay presents problems. She was eliminated by Danielle Collins in her second match at the Italian Open, after a 6-1, 6-1 loss to 2023 U.S. Open winner Coco Gauff at the Madrid Open, where she also dropped a 6-0 set to Keys.
And that's to say nothing of the off-court matter of a doping case in which Swiatek essentially was cleared but did serve an oddly timed suspension.
Doping cases involving Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner
Ah, yes, doping. It's a big topic in tennis lately, in large part because of what happened with former No. 1 Swiatek — she's now down to No. 5, behind Aryna Sabalenka, Gauff, Jessica Pegula and Jasmine Paolini — and men's No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who served his own, much-scrutinized, three-month ban.
The deal he worked out with the World Anti-Doping Agency after it appealed the 23-year-old Italian's original exoneration allowed Sinner to play at the Australian Open, where he earned his third title in the past five majors, then return to competition at the Italian Open, where he was the runner-up to Alcaraz.
So Sinner is in the mix at the French Open, but a notch below defending champion Alcaraz, who dealt with muscle issues in both legs recently before looking in Rome like he is back to his best. Still, he's not a lock the way Nadal was, while three-time major finalist Alexander Zverev is as inconsistent as possible lately, and 24-time Slam champ Djokovic ended a three-match losing streak this week at the Geneva Open tune-up event.
No Nadal in Paris, and a 'new reality' for Djokovic
“Kind of new reality for me, I have to say. You know, trying to win a match or two, not really thinking about getting far in the tournament. It's a completely different feeling from what I had in 20-plus years of professional tennis, so it's kind of a challenge for me, mentally, to really face these kind of sensations on the court, going out early now, regularly,” Djokovic said after an opening exit in Madrid.
“But that's, I guess, the circle of life and the career. Eventually, it was going to happen. ... Grand Slams is where I really want to play the best tennis,” he added. “I'm not sure if I'll be able to do that in Roland-Garros, but I'll do my best.”
For a change, no one can be sure what's to come in Paris.
That was particularly so on the men's side, with Rafael Nadal ruling over the red clay of Roland-Garros the way no one has dominated any tournament in tennis history. He would go there, he would win nearly every match he played — how's 112-4 for a career record? — and he would head home with another trophy, 14 in all.
Simultaneously simple and spectacular. So, too, albeit over a much shorter span, is Iga Swiatek's recent control over the women's event, claiming four of five championships, including the past three.
And now? As play begins Sunday, things are less clear, and not just because the 38-year-old Nadal is no longer competing and will be honored that day at Court Philippe-Chatrier. The owner of 22 Grand Slam titles retired last season, playing for the final time at the Davis Cup. His final French Open ended with a loss to Alexander Zverev last May and his final Roland-Garros appearance ended with an exit in singles against Novak Djokovic at the Summer Olympics, followed by an exit in doubles alongside Carlos Alcaraz.
There could be some new champions at the French Open
“Will it be very interesting? I think so,” said Grigor Dimitrov, a quarterfinalist at last year's French Open and previously a semifinalist at the other majors. “Could we see potentially some different winners and different results? Absolutely.”
He was speaking specifically about the men's bracket. But he could have been talking about the women, too.
“There's ... 20 different people that you wouldn't be surprised if they end up winning the tournament,” said Madison Keys, the American whose first Slam trophy arrived at the Australian Open in January. “Part of it is because we've kind of lost some of our legends, obviously. Like, there's no longer Serena Williams in every draw, where you just assume she's going to win."
Swiatek, 23, did hold that status for a while but she's been through a trying spell since last year's triumph in Paris. Not only hasn't she lifted a trophy since then, but she hasn't reached a final — and even clay presents problems. She was eliminated by Danielle Collins in her second match at the Italian Open, after a 6-1, 6-1 loss to 2023 U.S. Open winner Coco Gauff at the Madrid Open, where she also dropped a 6-0 set to Keys.
And that's to say nothing of the off-court matter of a doping case in which Swiatek essentially was cleared but did serve an oddly timed suspension.
Doping cases involving Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner
Ah, yes, doping. It's a big topic in tennis lately, in large part because of what happened with former No. 1 Swiatek — she's now down to No. 5, behind Aryna Sabalenka, Gauff, Jessica Pegula and Jasmine Paolini — and men's No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who served his own, much-scrutinized, three-month ban.
The deal he worked out with the World Anti-Doping Agency after it appealed the 23-year-old Italian's original exoneration allowed Sinner to play at the Australian Open, where he earned his third title in the past five majors, then return to competition at the Italian Open, where he was the runner-up to Alcaraz.
So Sinner is in the mix at the French Open, but a notch below defending champion Alcaraz, who dealt with muscle issues in both legs recently before looking in Rome like he is back to his best. Still, he's not a lock the way Nadal was, while three-time major finalist Alexander Zverev is as inconsistent as possible lately, and 24-time Slam champ Djokovic ended a three-match losing streak this week at the Geneva Open tune-up event.
No Nadal in Paris, and a 'new reality' for Djokovic
“Kind of new reality for me, I have to say. You know, trying to win a match or two, not really thinking about getting far in the tournament. It's a completely different feeling from what I had in 20-plus years of professional tennis, so it's kind of a challenge for me, mentally, to really face these kind of sensations on the court, going out early now, regularly,” Djokovic said after an opening exit in Madrid.
“But that's, I guess, the circle of life and the career. Eventually, it was going to happen. ... Grand Slams is where I really want to play the best tennis,” he added. “I'm not sure if I'll be able to do that in Roland-Garros, but I'll do my best.”
For a change, no one can be sure what's to come in Paris.
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