The tennis at this year’s French Open was at a very high level. Reputations have been cemented and some new stars have also emerged. Here are our five takeaways from this years French Open.
- 1. Novak Djokovic will become the greatest player of all time. Djokovic has become the first men’s player in 52 years to win each Grand Slam at least twice, something even Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal couldn’t do. He will be a huge favorite for Wimbledon this year. The only thing left for him to do in his career is to win is the Olympics this year. The Golden Grand Slam is definitely on the cards for Djokovic.
- 2. Barbora Krejčíková has announced herself on the world stage. Her demolition job of former French Open finalist and US Open champion, Sloane Stephens, in the fourth round should’ve been a warning. Mentored by the late and great Jana Novotná, Krejčíková has always had the shots which we have seen before on the doubles court. But now she has the self belief. It will be interesting to see if she inspires her doubles partner, Katerina Siniaková (another underrated singles player) to singles glory. They are certainly a formidable doubles team having now won three Grand Slam titles together.
Embed from Getty Images - 3. Coco Gauff is not too far away from Grand Slam glory. She is young, talented, and super athletic. Gauff was beaten in a very close match against eventual winner, Barbora Krejčíková. This should give her confidence. Gauff just needs to improve her serve, and also become more patient, particularly on a surface like clay. I predict that she will have a Grand Slam, within the next three years.
- 4. Rafael Nadal is still a force on the clay. He was unlucky to play against Djokovic in colder conditions which clearly suited the Serbian. And yet Nadal was close to winning what was an enthralling battle. If he had won that third set, the match would have turned out differently. For as long as he is around, Nadal will always be a favorite at the French Open.
Embed from Getty Images - 5. Daniil Medvedev was the surprise story of the tournament. I never expected him to get to the quarterfinals given previous results at the French Open. Hopefully, this will give him the confidence to bigger and better achievements like a Grand Slam title. Medvedev’s best chances for a Grand Slam are on the hard courts in Melbourne or New York, but don’t count him out for Wimbledon.Main Photo from Getty.
