Page 4 - French Open

French Open 2024: Unseeded Nadal gets to 4th seed Zverev in first round

Rafael Nadal is in the French Open field, after all, and Thursday's draw set up the 14-time champion for a challenging first-round matchup against No. 4 seed Alexander Zverev. That's going to be hard, but he is a warrior," tournament director Amlie Mauresmo said. "Anything is possible with Rafa. This is expected to be Nadal's last appearance at Roland Garros, and he had been coy about whether he would compete this time after two seasons of off-and-on action because of injuries, including a surgically repaired hip that forced him to miss his favorite tournament a year ago. After a loss at the Italian Open this month, Nadal said he needed to think about whether to play in Paris. But the Spaniard, who turns 38 on June 3, has been practicing on the red clay at Roland Garros this week and his name was officially in the bracket. The French Open begins on Sunday. The Nadal-Zverev winner could be on a path toward a potential semifinal meeting against No. 1 seed and defending champion Nova

Nadal's last French Open? It should be similar to Serena's last US Open

If this is, as expected, Rafael Nadal's final French Open, it will be one that everyone the 37-year-old Spaniard included surely will remember vividly. No matter how healthy the guy everyone calls "Rafa" might be. No matter how long his stay in the bracket lasts. No matter whether he somehow adds another championship at Roland Garros to the record 14 he owns. Narrator: Not even Nadal truly believes that is possible. Indeed, as of Wednesday morning, he had not announced definitely whether he would be in the field, although he showed up on-site to practice. "I am not negative," he explained. "I am just realistic." Think back just a couple of years ago to Serena Williams' farewell at the US Open. That's the sort of atmosphere and adoration likely to be on display whenever Nadal swings a racket or simply strolls around the compact-for-a-Grand-Slam-grounds in the southwest section of Paris where the clay-court tournament begins Sunday. "I cannot predict what kind of emotions I am goi

French Open runner-up Dominic Thiem loses in qualifying final match

Two-time runner-up Dominic Thiem lost in the second round of qualifying on Wednesday in his final match at the French Open. Thiem was beaten 6-2 7-5 by Otto Virtanen on Court Suzanne Lenglen and won't make an 11th and final appearance in the main draw of the clay-court Grand Slam. Thiem, who reached the final at Roland Garros in 2018 and 2019, announced earlier this month that he will retire at the end of the year after struggling to return to top form following a wrist injury. After his loss, Thiem received a standing ovation during a farewell ceremony, amid chants of "Thank you Domi, Thank you Domi." Thiem, a former US Open winner, has dropped to the 131st spot in the rankings and did not receive a wild card at the French Open. He did not hold a grudge. "I slowly built up a great, great relationship with the tournament, relationship with all of you guys, with all fans," Thiem said. "I've really enjoyed every single year of it." The 30-year-old Austrian won his only Grand Slam

Nadal shows he's not ready for retirement in comeback win at Italian Open

For a brief stretch on Thursday, Rafael Nadal looked every bit of a weary 37-year-old player nearing retirement. Struggling to produce pace off both sides with his groundstrokes, committing an uncharacteristically high number of unforced errors and unable to stay in rallies, Nadal dropped the first set of his first-round match at the Italian Open against Belgian qualifier Zizou Bergs. Then the fist-pumping, virtually-unbeatable-on-clay, 22-time Grand Slam champion version of Nadal emerged and the Spaniard rallied for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory before an adoring crowd in what will likely be his final tournament at the Foro Italico. Nadal was playing only his 10th match this year after missing nearly all of 2023 with a hip injury that required surgery. He's hoping to be competitive one last time at the French Open, where he is the record 14-time champion. That was not my best match. I was practicing better than how I played today, without a doubt. But I found a way to win," Nadal said.

Rafael Nadal pulls out of Monte Carlo Masters, delays prep for French Open

Rafael Nadal pulled out of the Monte Carlo Masters on Thursday because of a lingering injury, delaying the start of his clay-court tournament preparation ahead of the French Open and extending his absence that began in January. The 37-year-old Nadal had hip surgery last summer and has played only three competitive matches in Brisbane before skipping the Australian Open this year. Nadal has won the Monte Carlo Masters 11 times but announced on his social media accounts that he won't be ready to play when the tournament starts next week. My body simply won't allow me, the 22-time Grand Slam champion said in a statement. The Spaniard didn't mention the French Open he's won the clay-court major a record 14 times in his statement. The Roland Garros tournament begins May 25. In early March, Nadal played an exhibition match against Carlos Alcaraz in Las Vegas but days later pulled out of the Indian Wells tournament. You have no idea how hard this is for me to not be able to play the

No Nadal in Australia Open 2024: A never-ending quest to regain fitness

Since Nadal has suffered a minor muscle tear, the Spaniard is expected to return to court in the French Open, scheduled to begin May 20, 2024, ahead of the Paris Olympics at the end of July.

Belgian tennis great Justine Henin receives the Philippe Chatrier Award

The International Tennis Federation has awarded Justine Henin its highest honor, the Philippe Chatrier Award. Henin won seven Grand Slam singles titles, an Olympic gold medal, and was part of Belgium's team that won the Fed Cup now called the Billie Jean King Cup in 2001. The award, named after the former ITF president, was introduced in 1996 and recognizes people who have made significant contributions to the sport on and off the court. She was one of the best players of her generation on the court and since retirement has made a significant and ongoing contribution to our sport at all levels, ITF president David Haggerty said Saturday. The 41-year-old Henin has established a successful academy in Belgium and a charitable foundation that helps provide sporting opportunities for children with disabilities. The award will be presented Saturday at the ITF World Champions Awards at London's Victoria and Albert Museum. I always gave my very best throughout my career and achieved a

23rd Grand Slam wins the GOAT debate for Djokovic, at least statistically

23 Grand Slam titles (most), most weeks at number one (388), 38 ATP Masters 1000 titles (most), and six ATP World Tour final titles (joint most). Djokovic is clearly the GOAT, statistically

French Open final: Djokovic wins his 23rd Grand Slam title by beating Ruud

Novak Djokovic won his men's-record 23rd Grand Slam title on Sunday with a 7-6 (1), 6-3, 7-5 victory over Casper Ruud in the French Open final. Djokovic, a 36-year-old from Serbia, broke a tie with rival Rafael Nadal for the most major singles trophies in the history of men's tennis, which dates to the 1800s. Nadal, a 14-time champion at Roland Garros, missed this year's tournament because he is injured. This victory goes alongside the French Open titles earned by Djokovic in 2016 and 2021, making him the only man with at least three from each major event. Since collecting his very first Slam trophy at the 2008 Australian Open, he has accumulated totals of 10 there, seven at Wimbledon and three at the U.S. Open. Also worth noting: Djokovic is again halfway to a calendar-year Grand Slam winning all four majors in one season something no man has achieved since Rod Laver in 1969. Djokovic came close to pulling off that feat in 2021, when he won the Australian Open, French Open and

French Open: Swiatek beats Muchova, wins her third Roland Garros title

World No.1 Iga Swiatek defended her women's singles title at the French Open 2023, capturing a second consecutive Roland Garros. She beat Karolina Muchova 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 for a hard fought win

History is always hovering over me: Djokovic on reaching French Open final

Novak Djokovic, who moved within one win of a record 23rd major by defeating World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, said that history is always hovering over him and he is thinking about winning the next match

French Open: Casper Ruud races past Zverev, returns to Roland Garros final

Emulating past successes is never easy, but Casper Ruud made it appear so on Friday at Roland Garros.

French Open: World no. 1 Swiatek seeks a 3rd title, faces Muchova in final

A little more than four years ago, in the first round of a tiny clay-court tournament in the Czech Republic, 95th-ranked Iga Swiatek lost in three sets to 106th-ranked Karolina Muchova. That was the only time they've ever played each other, although they are frequent practice partners. On Saturday, the same two players will step into Court Philippe Chatrier for a second matchup on a far grander stage and with far larger stakes: the French Open championship. Swiatek is now ranked No. 1, where she's been for more than a year, and is bidding for her third title at Roland Garros and fourth at a major tournament. Muchova's career has been sidetracked by various injuries, so she is ranked just 43rd and is unseeded, but she has been at her best over the past two weeks, particularly when coming back after facing a match point to eliminate No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals on Thursday. And Muchova did it with the same mix of old-school and new-school tennis that Swiatek remembers see

French Open: Swiatek ends Haddad Maia's dream run to reach her third final

Defending champion Iga Swiatek booked her place in the Roland-Garros final for the third time in four years after she ended the dream run of 14th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia, beating her 6-2, 7-6(7).

French Open: Muchova topples Sabalenka, makes first Grand Slam final

Unseeded Czech Karolina Muchova clinched a spot in the first Grand Slam final of her career at French Open after stunning World No.2 Aryna Sabalenka 7-6(5), 6-7(5), 7-5 in a scintillating semifinal.

French Open: Alcaraz, Djokovic demand attention; Ruud vs Zverev later on

As intriguing as Carlos Alcaraz vs. Novak Djokovic is and it's plenty intriguing there are storylines worth following in the other French Open men's semifinal, too. No, frankly, Casper Ruud vs. Alexander Zverev, which will be played second on Friday, does not deserve the same billing. It's missing the cache and the resumes that the other two guys remaining in the field at Roland Garros will carry into Court Philippe Chatrier. Still, even without Djokovic's 22 Grand Slam titles with a chance to break a tie with Rafael Nadal for the most earned by a man in tennis history or even Alcaraz's lone such trophy, and even without Alcaraz's current No. 1 ranking or Djokovic's current No. 3 with a shot at moving back up (along with the career record for most weeks atop the ATP), No. 4 Ruud and No. 22 Zverev bring terrific games and past close-and-yet-so-far history at major tournaments. Let's examine Ruud first. He is a 24-year-old from Norway who is coached by his father, a former ...

French Open: Haddad Maia first Brazilian woman to enter semis in Open Era

Beatriz Haddad Maia on Wednesday became the first Brazilian woman to reach the Roland Garros semifinals in the Open Era after upsetting No.7 seed Tunisian Ons Jabeur 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-1, here

French Open: Djokovic perfect in key tiebreaker, beats Khachanov in last 8

Novak Djokovic has come back after dropping a set for the first time in the tournament to beat Karen Khachanov 4-6, 7-6 (0), 6-2, 6-4 at the French Open on Tuesday to reach his 45th career Grand Slam semifinal. Roger Federer holds the men's record of 46 appearances in the final four of a major. The victory over the 11th-seeded Khachanov, a semifinalist at the US Open last September and the Australian Open this January, put Djokovic in that round for the 12th time at Roland Garros. Only Rafael Nadal has done it more often, with 15 semifinals, he had arthroscopic hip surgery last week and is sitting out this edition of the clay-court major. The number 3-seeded Djokovic now waits to see whether he will face number 1 Carlos Alcaraz next. Alcaraz, who beat Djokovic on clay at the Madrid Masters last year in their only previous encounter, was scheduled to meet number 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas in the last men's quarterfinal Tuesday night. Number 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka and unseeded Karolina ...

French Open: Muchova, Sabalenka in first ever semifinals at Roland Garros

Aryna Sabalenka and Karolina Muchova are in the French Open semifinals for the first time. The second-seeded Sabalenka overpowered Elina Svitolina 6-4, 6-4 on Tuesday to set up a semifinal against the unseeded Muchova. The Czech beat 2021 runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia 7-5, 6-2. Muchova and Sabalenka had never progressed beyond the third round in Paris. Svitolina was booed by some sections of the crowd because she snubbed the Australian Open champion after the final point, instead of shaking her hand at the net. Sabalenka is from Belarus, and Svitolina playing in her first major since becoming a mother is from Ukraine. Belarus aided Russia in its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and the war continues. Like other players from Ukraine, including Sabalenka's first-round opponent last week, Svitolina has not been shaking hands with players from Belarus or Russia after matches. Sabalenka's all-risk tennis paid dividends despite 37 unforced errors. Her aggressive ..

French Open 2023: From Medvedev's 'wild' exit to Varillas historic feat

Daniil Medvedev won his first title on clay just before the start of the French Open 2023 and was rated as one of the challengers to Novak Djokovic for the title, but was ousted in the 1st round