This year's French Open has no clear favorite
On May 25, sports fans will be at Stade Roland Garros. This tennis venue complex, built in 1928, holds a unique place in the tennis world. It's the site of the French Open, the only Grand Slam tournament being played on clay.
"All clay courts are different. None play the same. This one plays the best."
- Venus Williams on Stade Roland Garros
One must go back in 1872, in England, where tennis originated. It was a lawn game back then. In fact, the Wimbledon Championships is the oldest tournament in the world, the most prestigious Grand Slam event as well. This doesn't make the French Open less interesting, as the tournament is special. Red clay is the main reason, which looks attractive from the distance. On closer inspection, the courts are made up of white limestone, covered with a few millimeters of red brick dust. This protects the players and spectators from being blinded (when the sun is up). This also allows the players to move and slide, which looks cool on television. But the real reason is grass doesn't suit in this part of Paris.
“It’s too hot,” said Bruno Slastan, second in command of the maintenance of the courts. “In England, it is raining very long.”
The last few decades saw many changes in the sports. Technology meant wooden rackets have to go. There was also a proliferation of hard courts, which suit players of different (playing) styles. But Stade Roland Garros remains red. These turn the French Open into an exciting tournament, with more players winning their first major titles on red dirt. The past decade was an exception, as Rafael Nadal hoisted the Coupe des Mousquetaires on eight occasions, an all-time record. The native of Manacor plays behind the baseline, has speedy footwork, and goes for very fine dropshots. This makes him unbeatable on clay, which his records show. (The Spaniard is an eight-time winner of the Monte Carlo Masters, another all-time record. He also leads all players for the most titles at the Foro Italico, the venue for the Italian Open.)
This year's lead up to the French Open seems different, as Nadal wasn't convincing in the warm-up tournaments. Although his past record assures his fans that he'll win his ninth, there are other players who have a good chance of lifting the trophy on June 8.
Stanislas Wawrinka is the first on the list, playing the best tennis of his career during the last five months. He won his first major title at Melbourne last January, beating an injured Nadal in four sets. The Australian Open didn't turn out to be a fluke, as he followed it up with a finals win at the Monte Carlo Country Club last month, his first Masters Series title. Next is Kei Nishikori, the first Japanese player to be in the elite Top 10 of the ATP Tour. Under the watchful eyes of Michael Chang, the 1989 French Open champion, Nishikori plays better, even consistent. He nearly beat the Spaniard at the Madrid Open, if not for the back injury. Then there's Novak Djokovic, prevailing over Nadal in Rome.
So it's hard to tell who will be victorious in two weeks.
