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Rafael Nadal's absence from the 2025 French Open changes the tournament

Rafael Nadal's absence from the 2025 French Open changes the tournament

Washington Post23-05-2025

PARIS — As the French Open enters a new, post-Rafa, era this year, there are a couple of prevailing sentiments among tennis players.
One is: It's a shame the world won't get to see the King of Clay, as Rafael Nadal came to be called, ply his unique brand of topspin-heavy relentlessness on the crushed red brick of Roland-Garros, where he won a record 14 of his 22 Grand Slam titles .

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Gordon Reid: I want more grand slams, and I've got my eye on Wimbledon's centre court
Gordon Reid: I want more grand slams, and I've got my eye on Wimbledon's centre court

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Gordon Reid: I want more grand slams, and I've got my eye on Wimbledon's centre court

Gordon Reid remains as motivated as ever desire a decade as one of the world's top wheelchair tennis players (Image: Getty Images) Given that Gordon Reid has been playing in grand slam tennis tournaments for 17 years, and winning them for a decade, he would be forgiven for having lost a bit of his fire. This couldn't be further from the truth, though. Advertisement Despite the toll globetrotting for the entirety of his adult life has taken, and the dimming of his motivation that could so easily have come when his grand slam title count reached the high twenties, Reid asserts he's as driven as he's ever been, possibly even more-so. At the age of 33, and having established himself as one of the most decorated tennis players in the history of the game, the Glaswegian is showing no signs of slowing down and Reid goes into the French Open wheelchair tournament, which begins at Roland Garros today, with little doubt as to his goals. 'I've always been someone who goes into every tournament looking to win the singles and the doubles. I feel like if I'm not going there to try and win then what's the point in being there at all?,' he says 'So winning the tournament is always the target, this week and every other week.' Advertisement It's unsurprising that Reid has reached a point in his career at which anything less than victory feels like failure. Having contracted a rare neurological condition called transverse myelitis at the age of 12, which left him paralysed from the waist down, Reid tried his hand at wheelchair tennis. The success he's achieved since first his first taste of the sport at Scotstoun Leisure Centre in Glasgow has been nothing short of astonishing. His maiden major title came in doubles in 2015, at the French Open, with that victory opening the floodgates. 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French Open order of play, today's results and Roland Garros schedule
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The quarter-finals get underway at the French Open on a tasty Tuesday of action at Roland Garros. A whittling down of the field means that the singles draws are down to a sole show court, with spots in the last four on the line on Philippe-Chatrier. Advertisement Carlos Alcaraz headlines the night session as the Spaniard continues the defence of his title against Tommy Paul, with Lorenzo Musetti and Frances Tiafoe contesting the day's other last-eight clash in the men's draw. The winners of the two matches will meet later in the week for a place in the final. Fireworks should be expected as top seed Aryna Sabalenka battles Zheng Qinwen in a battle of heavy hitters, while Iga Swiatek continues her pursuit of a fourth straight success on the Paris clay with Elina Svitolina her opponent. It leaves Sabalenka and Swiatek potentially on a collision course and set to meet for the first time in 2025. The order of play for today is below: French Open order of play - Monday 2 June (from 10am BST) Court Philippe-Chatrier Aryna Sabalenka [1] vs Zheng Qinwen [8] Elina Svitolina [13] vs Iga Swiatek [5] Lorenzo Musetti [8] vs Frances Tiafoe [15] not before 7.15pm Tommy Paul [12] vs Carlos Alcaraz [2]

Alcaraz, Swiatek and Sabalenka in French Open semi-final hunt
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Carlos Alcaraz expects a stiff challenge from Tommy Paul in the French Open quarter-finals Tuesday, as women's title rivals Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka look to set up a blockbuster clash. Reigning men's champion Alcaraz is through to the last eight at Roland Garros for the fourth year running and aims to become the third man this century to defend his title, after Gustavo Kuerten and Rafael Nadal. Alcaraz has dropped a set in each of the past three rounds and said "I fought against myself in the mind" after a tough four-set victory over Ben Shelton in the last 16. The 22-year-old Spaniard holds a 4-2 career record against Paul, the US 12th seed whom Alcaraz beat in the quarter-finals of the Paris Olympics on the way to a silver medal last August. "I remember that every match that I've played against him he was really tough," said Alcaraz. "His level is really high right now. He has a lot of confidence. "It's going to be a really interesting match to watch, because every time we play against each other, we rise our level to the top as well." If Alcaraz gets past Paul he will meet the winner of Tuesday's other men's quarter-final between in-form Italian Lorenzo Musetti and Frances Tiafoe. Musetti has been one of the form players on clay this season, reaching at least the last four in all three of the principal warm-up events ahead of the French Open. Both Musetti and US 15th seed Tiafoe are appearing at this stage of Roland Garros for the first time. Tiafoe, twice a US Open semi-finalist, has yet to drop a set in Paris and is confident he can go even further. "When I'm playing well, I'm there and present and having fun, I think the sky's the limit for me." - Swiatek, Sabalenka on collision course - Swiatek arrived at her favourite tournament with serious doubts over her ability to win a fifth French Open in six years after a lengthy trophy drought. The 24-year-old Pole has not won a title since lifting the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen for a third successive edition 12 months ago. She was put to the test by Elena Rybakina, who led by a set and a break before Swiatek escaped trouble to book a quarter-final with Elina Svitolina. "It means a lot. I think I needed that kind of win to like feel these feelings that I'm able to win under pressure," Swiatek said after reeling off her 25th win in a row at the French Open. "It's a great confirmation for me. Yeah, I for sure wanted to have a match like that." Ukrainian 13th seed Svitolina pulled off an even more remarkable comeback against 2024 runner-up Jasmine Paolini, saving three match points to reach her fifth Roland Garros quarter-final. The 30-year-old has never advanced to the last four but will hope to finally match husband Gael Monfils' run to the semi-finals in 2008. That French connection also guarantees Svitolina has her fair share of supporters in Paris. "For so many years I loved and still loving to play here in France," she said. "The support is amazing. They push me to play better... this is a great feeling to have when the crowd is giving you this extra energy." World number one Aryna Sabalenka is on a revenge mission against Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen after losing to the Chinese star in Rome recently. Zheng beat Sabalenka for the first time in seven attempts and will try to repeat the trick against the player she lost to in the 2024 Australian Open final. "I expect a great battle, and I'm super excited to face her in the quarter-finals, and I want to get my revenge. Yeah, I want to get this win after Rome," said Sabalenka. Madrid champion Sabalenka feels she is ready to go all the way in Paris, where her best performance was reaching the semi-finals two years ago. "I think in the last year I improved a lot in my game, and I think now going to the French Open, I don't have those doubts that I cannot play on clay, so maybe I'm more confident this year." A win over Zheng could line up an eagerly anticipated last-four showdown with Swiatek. mw/jc

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