Latest news with #ChrisEvert
New York Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Iga Swiatek-Jelena Ostapenko head to head will not grace the French Open this year
Follow The Athletic's French Open coverage Welcome to the French Open briefing, where The Athletic will explain the stories behind the stories on each day of the tournament in Paris. On day six, a defending champion avoided her nemesis, a world No. 1 learned of her first test, and a dirty towel caused commotion on Court Philippe-Chatrier. After four-time champion Iga Swiatek got past world No. 60 Jaqueline Cristian in straight sets, the tennis world's attention turned to the match that followed hers on Court Suzanne-Lenglen — and to the fourth-round meeting that everyone wanted to see. Nothing against 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, who faced Jelena Ostapenko in the third round, but Ostapenko's head-to-head with Swiatek has developed into the most compelling non-rivalry in the sport. Ostapenko, a wildly inconsistent player who won her only Grand Slam title here in Paris right years ago, has beaten Swiatek, a five-time major champion and a world No. 1 for over 100 weeks, in all six matches they have played against each other. Advertisement They have still never faced off at Roland Garros, so everything was set up to see whether Swiatek could finally end her hoodoo against the player who seems to live rent-free in her head on her favorite court in the sport. Following her win over Cristian, Swiatek has a 38-2 record through her 40 matches at the French Open, matched only by its seven-time champion Chris Evert in the women's game in the Open Era. When Swiatek arrived for her news conference after beating Cristian, the outcome of the Ostapenko-Rybakina match was not known. Asked if she had a preference about who she'd play next, Swiatek responded by saying no and keeping a completely straight face. A second later, she burst into laughter, adding: 'Am I a good liar?' #Iga #RG2025 — 🎥 (@t15l_videos) May 30, 2025 About half an hour later, Rybakina finished off Ostapenko 6-2, 6-2, and with that, so many tennis fans' dream died. A match between Rybakina and Swiatek is at least likely to be less mercurial: their head-to-head is at 4-4. Hopefully, a Wimbledon champion going up against the winner of the past three French Opens will help to soften the blow of the match that never was. Charlie Eccleshare Holger Rune started this tournament playing on Court 7. For a guy who wants to prove that he is his generation's third member of a Big Three 2.0 with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, that kind of court assignment doesn't sit all that well, even though the world No. 10 has some way to go to even approach the status those other two have in the sport. Rune doesn't mind that assignment too much in Paris, reserving his annoyance for last year's U.S. Open, which put him on a court he deemed so unsatisfactory that he provided his fans with a map to find it. Advertisement The Dane has been on Court Philippe-Chatrier for the two rounds since. He's enjoyed it, except for a while this afternoon. Partly because French opponent Quentin Halys was threatening to knock him out of the tournament, but mostly because a fan didn't like the way Rune put his sweaty, clay-speckled towel back into its box. Here's how the always-entertaining Rune tells the story: 'I put my towel down in the box, and the guy was yelling, aggressive with me. He reached out for me. I thought this was very strange, because I did not do anything against him and he should not interact with a player on the court. It's a bit embarrassing, I think. 'I told the supervisor that I would prefer him not being there, because it was a bit uncomfortable. They said they'd check the video, and, I guess, if it was true what I said they would get him away. I guess they checked, and I didn't see him for the rest of the match.' Rune said Halys apologized to him for the partisan crowd when the match was over. 'I said, 'Don't worry. I don't think it was anything crazy'.' A non-Frenchman, Lorenzo Musetti of Italy, is next for Rune in a match for the clay-court connoisseurs. Matt Futterman So far, it's been plain sailing for the world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who is yet to drop a set at the tournament. She cruised past world No. 34 Olga Danilovic 6-2, 6-3 Friday in the third round — and that was her closest scoreline yet. Things should now get a bit tougher, with her next opponent being the American No. 16 seed Amanda Anisimova. She too, is yet to drop a set, and has won five of her seven meetings with Sabalenka. Four of those were before Sabalenka had won her first Grand Slam, however, and the Belarusian is a very different player now. Back then, she lacked the variety to change things if getting outgunned by the big-hitting Anisimova. Advertisement But since last year's Italian Open, Sabalenka has embraced variety and touch as parts of her game, becoming a more complete player and offering her different valves for when she needs a release from her usual strategy. This next meeting with Anisimova should provide an opportunity to demonstrate how far she's come — or it could provide Anisimova the opportunity to rubberstamp what's already been an impressive return to the tour since a break to address burnout last year. A win would make this her joint-best run at a Slam since 2019, when she reached the semifinals here in Paris at age 17. Charlie Eccleshare A tennis fan who looked at the draw Friday morning might have pencilled Hamad Medjedovic of Serbia into the fourth round. Medjedovic is a Novak Djokovic project, and Djokovic has said he is headed for big things. He won the Next Gen Finals in 2023, and its champions usually do go on to big things – Alcaraz, Sinner, Tsitsipas. It's taking Medjedovic a little longer to get where he wants to be than it did those guys, but he had gotten off to a promising start here in a section of the draw that got more and more inviting as the first week wore on. He has some of the biggest power in the game, but also can play with an off-speed, junkballing style when he needs to. He had Daniel Altmaier of Germany, a talented clay-court player who dispatched American No. 1 Taylor Fritz in the first round, on Friday for a spot in the second week. For Medjedovic, trouble started early. He called a doctor to the court at 2-1 in the first set and had his blood pressure and vital signs examined. He continued, but something was visibly wrong for the remainder of the match, with the world No. 74 struggling to move around the court and regularly leaning on his racket. Advertisement He won that first set from 4-2 down, but was able to put up only limited resistance the rest of the way, moving little, resorting to every trick he had to extend the match, hoping it might turn around. Medjedovic has form for winning when compromised. He beat Tsitsipas on one leg after pulling a muscle deep in the third set of their match in Doha in February, hobbling between smashing winners as early and often as he could. That was just for a couple of games and a tiebreak, though. Three whole sets on a hot day in Paris is a tougher proposition. This time, in the end, it did not turn around. Those big things will have to wait a little longer. Matt Futterman Sometimes. the official social-media account gets it right. HOW DID RUNE DO THAT?! THIS Holger's around the net post is the shot of the day 🤩 #RolandGarros — Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 30, 2025 Tell us what you noticed on the tournament's sixth day… (Top photo of Iga Swiatek: Getty Images; design: Eamonn Dalton)
ABC News
6 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
Could a famine in Gaza be the tipping point for the West?
News out of Gaza has gone from bad to worse with acute food shortages and growing concern of a famine. So are attitudes from Israel's Western allies starting to change? And will a change in attitude lead to concrete action? And last week we were talking about poison pen letters and we've heard lots of great stories. We go through our favourites. Plus a little treat from our Sydney live show. SHOW NOTES Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova profile
Times
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Times
Chris Evert meets Iga Swiatek: I was first to come along with groundstrokes
C hris Evert won a record seven women's singles titles at Roland Garros between 1974 and 1986. Iga Swiatek has won four, including the past three, and will be aiming to make it four in a row over the next fortnight. In a recent conversation organised by Rolex and exclusively shared with The Sunday Times before the 2025 French Open, which begins on Sunday, the pair discussed what it takes to play on clay and their toughest opponents. How do your styles of play compare? Evert I feel like Iga and I have more similarities in the intangibles of the game. I cannot attest to having the power that Iga has or the speed she has around the court, but I can attest to having had the mental toughness, the focus and the hunger she has, which to me, honestly, is more than 50 per cent of tennis. I find the mentality of the game is our biggest similarity and the only physical similarity that I can see game-wise is we are actually both excellent baseliners. Our ground game and footwork were very similar at this stage of our careers. Let me tell you, Iga, it took me a while, until my middle to late twenties, to really feel comfortable about coming to the net and feel confident about it, so that I could become an all-court player. Swiatek It is interesting to hear you didn't feel comfortable going to the net at the beginning. Is that really the case? Wasn't coming to the net a big part of tennis when you played? Evert Yes, but I was the first one to come along with groundstrokes. Swiatek You changed that about tennis, I feel like it's better and more interesting. Evert Exactly. I felt like whenever I played at Roland Garros, and whenever I played on clay, which was my best surface, I could out-rally anybody. I went on the court knowing I was going to win the match. That was that era versus this era, which is very different, because now everybody has an all-court game. Everybody knows how to do every shot in the book. When I came up, it was Billie Jean King, Margaret Court, Virginia Wade and Rosie Casals. They could all serve and volley, but were rarely able to keep four or five balls in the court. I came along and just out steadied them and that was why clay was my best surface. As you know, on clay you've got to get a lot of balls in the court. Swiatek I'm very happy you brought in groundstrokes. Good choice. It makes tennis much more interesting. I love building rallies and embracing the tactical element of clay. You have to think everything through and plan each point wisely. This is what I love about clay, and I would say we both did that well. What was your hardest test on clay? Swiatek The match that was the hardest to win was last year's match against Naomi [Osaka], during the second round of Roland Garros. I felt like it was a final in terms of the level of intensity and the emotions that we both experienced. I really thought I was out of the tournament. In the third set I was 5-2 down and managed to save a match point. Mentally I had to be at my top level to even believe I could come back. I won the match but later, when I was in the gym, I cried for 15 minutes. I think it was the longest match I've ever played on clay and it kind of broke my heart. This was the most meaningful title of my career because of how close I came to losing. Evert Don't you think that when you can get through a match like that, you are much better off after it and for the rest of the tournament? Swiatek Sometimes I do but not this time. My expectations were too high. I couldn't accept that I had played a match like that at the beginning of the tournament which is like home to me. It wasn't logical but I remember I just wanted to work on my game because I felt like I can do much better. To be honest I felt like life had given me a second chance, so I had to take it. Evert My toughest matches at Roland Garros were against Martina [Navratilova] in 1985 and 1986 when I was 30 and 31 years old. She was ranked No1 in the world at the time, nobody expected me to win, and I won both of those titles. I think she was so difficult to play against because she served and volleyed, and the left-handed serve got me off the court on my backhand side. She was also so quick at the net and she moved well, so she was always dangerous for me. However, playing against her on clay was when I had the biggest chance of winning because I had that extra second to pass her when she had to come into the net. You might learn from this, Iga: I lost to Martina during her peak 13 times in a row. For two and a half years she was dominant on every surface. My coach kept saying you've got to go to the net, take the net away from her, go to the net on her backhand; and because I was stubborn as a champion for those 13 times, I didn't go to the net, but that 14th time I did. I thought, you know what, I am not going to win this way and so finally I tried something different. I came into the net and the first time I did she hit a ball in the bottom of the net. So I did it again and the second time I came in she hit a floater backhand and I put it away. Slowly I gained more and more confidence. I changed my strategy a little bit and started playing outside of my box because I had to raise my level and learn to hit some new shots. From then on I was fine and we were 50/50 in terms of matches. I had finally figured it out. Swiatek That's a good story, and I will remember that for sure. I am stubborn as well — you can talk with my coaches about it! Evert I think champions are stubborn, period. Can Swiatek beat Evert's seven titles? Evert I've won Roland Garros seven times, Iga's now won it four times at a very young age, and there's no doubt in my mind she can pass me and win it more than seven times. I think she is the perfect clay-court player and has what it takes. Swiatek I will always remember hearing you say that I can surpass your record. I really got this warm feeling from you. It was just so nice to hear, and it hit me harder than usual. Obviously, as tennis players we are cheering for each other but still there is some jealousy, so getting a nice message like that is amazing. Evert Understandably, with women in your own era you aren't going to be cheering for them to win the next five grand-slam events. It's hard when they are your competitors. However, at this point I am so much older that I think it would be very egotistical of me to not want you to win. So much time has passed, and I've had my time in the sun. It's time to let other people shine and support the next generation. What is it like playing on Court Philippe Chatrier? Swiatek For me, the emotions that I feel there are very strong, and I just love this court. I even love how it looks. It's not only about the matches I play on the court, it's also about how I feel when I go there. The sound of the ball on Philippe Chatrier is just different for me than at other stadiums. It feels more like I'm inside a church of tennis. When the crowd is cheering, and lifting the trophy, these emotions are just amazing and this is something that every athlete works hard to feel. It's our biggest motivation seeking this feeling. For me, Philippe Chatrier will always be connected to that. Evert I agree with Iga about Philippe Chatrier, which I always loved. I was brought up playing on clay from the age of five. It was green clay but it was clay, and I learnt how to slide at a very young age. I remember the sliding on Philippe Chatrier, I remember the drop shots, I remember the clay on my socks, I remember Paris, I remember the Eiffel Tower… there are so many good memories outside of Roland Garros as well as being in a beautiful city like Paris. However, at the end of the day, I think the main thing is that I played my best tennis there and my strengths really shined on the red clay, and that's the best thing I can say.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
French Open storylines: Nadal's tribute, Swiatek's record and line judges' last stand
The Athletic Can Iga Świątek make women's tennis history? Will her idol, Rafael Nadal, get the tribute his success deserves? Is this the denouement for line judges on tennis courts? And is the most important thing in play in Paris the weather forecast? Advertisement The 2025 French Open promises to be a cracker. Here, 's tennis writers, Matthew Futterman and Charlie Eccleshare, chart some of the key storylines to follow over the next fortnight. Will Swiatek do what no other women's player has ever done in the Open Era? At this point, Iga Świątek probably isn't thinking about becoming the first woman in the Open Era to win four consecutive French Opens. She likely just wants to get to the second week the way she's been playing of late. The thing about Świątek's pursuit of history, though, is that she's already made plenty of it. She has four French Opens already. She's one of the best women ever on clay. Chris Evert thinks she will break her record of seven Roland Garros titles, and if she were to never play the tournament again, Świątek would already be in statue territory. Advertisement So the question this year is two-pronged: Can she find her form and cement her reputation as maybe the most untouchable woman on red clay, given that Evert played in a far smaller world when tennis was far less competitive. It's an argument Evert makes anytime Świątek's greatness comes up — and those two prongs go hand in hand. Word is that her form makes the French Open more open on the women's side than it has been since 2020, but the problem with that argument is that any of the big favorites for the title will have to beat Świątek in the semifinals (Aryna Sabalenka) or the final (Coco Gauff) if she gets that far. If she does, she is likely to be in the imperious form that has seen her dominate here. A draw can look very open, until it's closed. With no electronic line calling on clay, line judges take center stage — for the last time? The French Open is the only Grand Slam to resist the appeal of electronic line calling (ELC), with Wimbledon to abandon 147 years of history by ditching line judges for this summer's event. Advertisement It's also the most prestigious clay-court event that entrusts humans with calling the lines, as ELC is now mandatory at ATP and mixed events, which encompass all the clay-court events at 1,000-level, one rung below the Grand Slams. ELC is at the center of a philosophical quandary for players, because the technology — which allots for the amount of clay on the court and the speed of trajectory of the ball as it bounces — can come into conflict with the language players have been using to interpret clay-court shots as in or out for years: ball marks. This has led to several disagreements between players and umpires, with some players taking a photo of the mark to 'prove' that the technology is wrong. In theory, those players should welcome umpires getting off their chairs to inspect marks. But as tournaments before ELC showed, they are more likely to end up arguing with them about which mark is correct and whether or not that mark is touching a line. The vast majority of players are in favour of ELC, even the ones who grouse about calls that have gone against them. Advertisement When explaining the decision to retain line judges, French Tennis Federation (FFT) president Gilles Moretton said in April that the nation's 'pride' at being 'the best country for providing referees on the circuit' was part of the thought process. Those officials will have to make good on that claim over the next couple of weeks, as they deal with a group of players so used to machines that they will be expecting close to perfection. Will Rafael Nadal's French Open tribute be a bit better than the ones to date? Rafael Nadal won this tournament 14 times. So why shouldn't Roland Garros send him off for a third time? Advertisement The last two were awkward. They came after early, one-sided defeats to Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic in last year's French Open and the Olympics, yet more illustrations of how finding the right moment to exit the biggest stages in the sport is nearly impossible. Sunday night's ceremony on Court Philippe-Chatrier should be better. Nadal won't have to endure the ovations in sweaty clothes while still angry and depressed after a loss. The 14-time champion, who recently declared that he does not miss tennis because he left it behind satisfied with his achievements, will be the star of his show. Perhaps the tournament will dedicate a statue to him on the grounds? Oh, wait… it already did that. Will tennis politics loom over the tournament? A Grand Slam wouldn't be a Grand Slam nowadays without some sort of political machinations going on in the background, and this year's French Open is no different. Advertisement On Thursday at Roland Garros, as well as learning who they would be facing in the first round, a group of the world's best players were meeting with executives from the four Grand Slams. They were there to follow up on a letter they'd sent in March, calling for a greater share of tournament revenue. That letter was signed by the world's top 10 players on the ATP and WTA side. As well as asking for a more equitable revenue split, it asked for a greater say in how the sport was run. These points, and a request for the majors to make financial contributions to welfare programmes, such as pensions and healthcare, were all raised by the handful of players present in Thursday's meeting. The Grand Slams will review the points raised and report back to the players. Backroom negotiations have become a recurring theme at the biggest events over the last few years — whether it's the ongoing battle between the governing bodies and the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), or the discussions over whether to hold a men's event in Saudi Arabia. Is this the last stand for the sandwich generation? Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Andrey Rublev may yet find the glory they have been seeking. But time is running out and they've been heading in the wrong direction. Advertisement All except Tsitsipas are 27 or older, and Tsitsipas will be 27 in three months. They have been top-10 mainstays for years. Only Zverev is still there — and he hasn't played top-10 tennis for months. In a news conference ahead of the French Open, Tsitsipas was sanguine about the challenges ahead, especially compared with what he faced a few years back. 'I feel like the lineup right now is much more difficult than it was back then,' he said. 'Players are so much more mature. Shots have changed. Players have second forehands in this moment. They're playing with two forehands almost. I have to adapt my game.' Medvedev said the longevity of Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic colored expectations. Advertisement 'If we take them out, I feel like a lot of players after getting closer to 30 or after 30 maybe drop their level, then maybe come back,' he said in a news conference. 'It's just the physical part of something getting to us. Maybe it's something else.' Regardless, with each passing Slam, their chances of winning one dim. And what about the weather? Nadal believes that playing clay-court matches at night is a sin. The French Open night session is a fixture of the tournament, so no dice there, but his belief is a gateway into understanding a Grand Slam, which is affected by the weather more than any other: not because rain stops play, but because rain hits clay. Advertisement A grey, dank evening at Roland Garros exists in another universe than a hot, sunny afternoon. A matchup can swing based on atmospheric conditions, and if a match goes long, it can evolve through different weather conditions and change character completely. At last year's event, heavy rain in the first few days played havoc with the schedule and turned matches into a sludgy, heavy affair. Later in the event, the sun came out, and the balls were kicking off the red clay and spinning out of players' strike zones once more. So check the weather at Roland Garros, not only to understand if an umbrella will be required. Tell us what you're looking out for at the French Open this year in the comments — and here's a reminder of the men's and women's singles draws: French Open women's draw French Open men's draw This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Sports Business, Culture, Tennis, Women's Tennis 2025 The Athletic Media Company
New York Times
24-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
French Open storylines: Nadal's tribute, Swiatek's record and line judges' last stand
If you would like to follow The Athletic's French Open coverage, click here and follow our tennis page. Can Iga Świątek make women's tennis history? Will her idol, Rafael Nadal, get the tribute his success deserves? Is this the denouement for line judges on tennis courts? And is the most important thing in play in Paris the weather forecast? The 2025 French Open promises to be a cracker. Here, The Athletic's tennis writers, Matthew Futterman and Charlie Eccleshare, chart some of the key storylines to follow over the next fortnight. At this point, Iga Świątek probably isn't thinking about becoming the first woman in the Open Era to win four consecutive French Opens. She likely just wants to get to the second week the way she's been playing of late. The thing about Świątek's pursuit of history, though, is that she's already made plenty of it. She has four French Opens already. She's one of the best women ever on clay. Chris Evert thinks she will break her record of seven Roland Garros titles, and if she were to never play the tournament again, Świątek would already be in statue territory. Advertisement So the question this year is two-pronged: Can she find her form and cement her reputation as maybe the most untouchable woman on red clay, given that Evert played in a far smaller world when tennis was far less competitive. It's an argument Evert makes anytime Świątek's greatness comes up — and those two prongs go hand in hand. Word is that her form makes the French Open more open on the women's side than it has been since 2020, but the problem with that argument is that any of the big favorites for the title will have to beat Świątek in the semifinals (Aryna Sabalenka) or the final (Coco Gauff) if she gets that far. If she does, she is likely to be in the imperious form that has seen her dominate here. A draw can look very open, until it's closed. Matthew Futterman The French Open is the only Grand Slam to resist the appeal of electronic line calling (ELC), with Wimbledon to abandon 147 years of history by ditching line judges for this summer's event. It's also the most prestigious clay-court event that entrusts humans with calling the lines, as ELC is now mandatory at ATP and mixed events, which encompass all the clay-court events at 1,000-level, one rung below the Grand Slams. ELC is at the center of a philosophical quandary for players, because the technology — which allots for the amount of clay on the court and the speed of trajectory of the ball as it bounces — can come into conflict with the language players have been using to interpret clay-court shots as in or out for years: ball marks. This has led to several disagreements between players and umpires, with some players taking a photo of the mark to 'prove' that the technology is wrong. In theory, those players should welcome umpires getting off their chairs to inspect marks. But as tournaments before ELC showed, they are more likely to end up arguing with them about which mark is correct and whether or not that mark is touching a line. The vast majority of players are in favour of ELC, even the ones who grouse about calls that have gone against them. Advertisement When explaining the decision to retain line judges, French Tennis Federation (FFT) president Gilles Moretton said in April that the nation's 'pride' at being 'the best country for providing referees on the circuit' was part of the thought process. Those officials will have to make good on that claim over the next couple of weeks, as they deal with a group of players so used to machines that they will be expecting close to perfection. Charlie Eccleshare Rafael Nadal won this tournament 14 times. So why shouldn't Roland Garros send him off for a third time? The last two were awkward. They came after early, one-sided defeats to Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic in last year's French Open and the Olympics, yet more illustrations of how finding the right moment to exit the biggest stages in the sport is nearly impossible. Sunday night's ceremony on Court Philippe-Chatrier should be better. Nadal won't have to endure the ovations in sweaty clothes while still angry and depressed after a loss. The 14-time champion, who recently declared that he does not miss tennis because he left it behind satisfied with his achievements, will be the star of his show. Perhaps the tournament will dedicate a statue to him on the grounds? Oh, wait… it already did that. Matt Futterman A Grand Slam wouldn't be a Grand Slam nowadays without some sort of political machinations going on in the background, and this year's French Open is no different. On Thursday at Roland Garros, as well as learning who they would be facing in the first round, a group of the world's best players were meeting with executives from the four Grand Slams. They were there to follow up on a letter they'd sent in March, calling for a greater share of tournament revenue. That letter was signed by the world's top 10 players on the ATP and WTA side. As well as asking for a more equitable revenue split, it asked for a greater say in how the sport was run. Advertisement These points, and a request for the majors to make financial contributions to welfare programmes, such as pensions and healthcare, were all raised by the handful of players present in Thursday's meeting. The Grand Slams will review the points raised and report back to the players. Backroom negotiations have become a recurring theme at the biggest events over the last few years — whether it's the ongoing battle between the governing bodies and the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), or the discussions over whether to hold a men's event in Saudi Arabia. Charlie Eccleshare Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Andrey Rublev may yet find the glory they have been seeking. But time is running out and they've been heading in the wrong direction. All except Tsitsipas are 27 or older, and Tsitsipas will be 27 in three months. They have been top-10 mainstays for years. Only Zverev is still there — and he hasn't played top-10 tennis for months. In a news conference ahead of the French Open, Tsitsipas was sanguine about the challenges ahead, especially compared with what he faced a few years back. 'I feel like the lineup right now is much more difficult than it was back then,' he said. 'Players are so much more mature. Shots have changed. Players have second forehands in this moment. They're playing with two forehands almost. I have to adapt my game.' Medvedev said the longevity of Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic colored expectations. 'If we take them out, I feel like a lot of players after getting closer to 30 or after 30 maybe drop their level, then maybe come back,' he said in a news conference. 'It's just the physical part of something getting to us. Maybe it's something else.' Regardless, with each passing Slam, their chances of winning one dim. Advertisement Matthew Futterman Nadal believes that playing clay-court matches at night is a sin. The French Open night session is a fixture of the tournament, so no dice there, but his belief is a gateway into understanding a Grand Slam, which is affected by the weather more than any other: not because rain stops play, but because rain hits clay. A grey, dank evening at Roland Garros exists in another universe than a hot, sunny afternoon. A matchup can swing based on atmospheric conditions, and if a match goes long, it can evolve through different weather conditions and change character completely. At last year's event, heavy rain in the first few days played havoc with the schedule and turned matches into a sludgy, heavy affair. Later in the event, the sun came out, and the balls were kicking off the red clay and spinning out of players' strike zones once more. So check the weather at Roland Garros, not only to understand if an umbrella will be required. James Hansen Tell us what you're looking out for at the French Open this year in the comments — and here's a reminder of the men's and women's singles draws:
