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How the serve became key in modern tennis
How the serve became key in modern tennis

LeMonde

time3 days ago

  • Sport
  • LeMonde

How the serve became key in modern tennis

His first serves were clocked at over 220 km/h. From the start of the French Open, French "serial server" Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard relied on his ultimate weapon: the serve. The shot has become an essential aspect of modern tennis, including on the clay courts of Roland-Garros, even though clay is the slowest surface. With increasingly detailed data at their disposal, players and their coaches have scrutinized the serve with particular attention. Speed, targeted zones, the spin imparted on the ball – everything has been analyzed to optimize players' serves, and gain an advantage from the start of the game. The serve's dominance, especially on the men's tour This is what serving looked like in the 19 th century: With a delicate and sweeping underhand motion, the server would gently loft the ball over the net. On the other side, the opponent would have plenty of time to determine the perfect position for their return stroke. Today, the serve is a quick, sharp movement. The ball rockets forward, hurtling ahead at speeds over 200 km/h, leaving the receiver barely any time to react. Power has replaced the floating style of serve. In just a few decades, the professionalization of tennis has seen players definitively give up on wooden rackets in favor of stronger graphite models, and the rise of highly specialized, rigorously trained athletes, with physiques built for serving. The men's tennis tour, in particular, has displayed this shift, with the serve now tending to dictate the rhythm of play. While the statistics can vary from match to match, especially depending on the level of the server's opponent, the overall trend is clear: In the last season, a player ranked in the top 100 of the men's Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) circuit won 80% of their service games, compared to just 20% of their return games, on average. Among women, the balance of games won was more even: They won 65% of their service games and 35% of their return games, on average.

Why the French Open has the most hostile atmosphere in tennis: 'Totally disrespectful' and 'feral' fans, ear-splitting boos, and one player SPAT ON by someone in the crowd
Why the French Open has the most hostile atmosphere in tennis: 'Totally disrespectful' and 'feral' fans, ear-splitting boos, and one player SPAT ON by someone in the crowd

Daily Mail​

time27-05-2025

  • Entertainment
  • Daily Mail​

Why the French Open has the most hostile atmosphere in tennis: 'Totally disrespectful' and 'feral' fans, ear-splitting boos, and one player SPAT ON by someone in the crowd

Coming off court after an draining five-set, three-and-a-half-hour slog in the first-round of last year's French Open, David Goffin had enough energy for one last attack. 'It's becoming like football, soon there will be smoke bombs, hooligans, and there will be fights in the stands,' Goffin told the media. To the casual ear, it would be hard to believe the Belgian player was talking about a tennis match. But Goffin had the misfortune to have been drawn against a Frenchman, big-serving 20-year-old prospect Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, and the double misfortune to have beaten him. Doing so had come against the backdrop of a chorus of boos, jeers, and singing of the French national anthem. Even winning failed to silence the crowd, with Goffin even accusing one spectator of spitting their chewing gum at him as the curdled atmosphere spilled over onto the court. At Roland-Garros however, this is no one-off event; instead, the tournament has earned the dubious distinction of being the rowdiest, and possibly most unpleasant stop on the tour. Goffin dubbed the crowd 'totally disrespectful'. Doubles star Arina Rodionova described them as 'especially feral'. Even a French player, Alize Cornet, called out 'a handful of idiots' after she was booed for retiring through injury in 2022. It's clear that over the next two weeks, no one is safe. There are few players who are unaware of the reputation that the tournament's fans bring with them. Former champion Mats Wilander, now a pundit for TNT Sport, put it most politely when he said in 2023 that the crowd was 'a bit more involved here than if you play a Brit at Wimbledon, or an American at the US Open, or an Aussie at the Australian'. Of the few certainties you can cling to in Paris, one is fervent home support. Woe betide a player drawn against a home favourite, and worse still if they're anywhere close to winning the match. Taylor Fritz represents the most extreme example of a player that has wrestled with partisan home support - and still carries the legacy of the fracas with him when he steps onto court in Paris today. Drawn against Arthur Rinderknech, the American number one had the unpleasant fate of despatching the last Frenchman in the bracket, doing so under a hail of unprompted boos and whistles, and a round of 'La Marseillaise' to further rouse their compatriot. Fritz had lost the first set but found his level - much higher than Rinderknech's - thereafter, and on the last point, finally responded to his critics by placing his finger over his mouth in a 'shush' gesture. That turned the volume to 11. Rather an hurrying off court, Fritz stood open-stanced in the centre of the court and yelled: 'Come on! I want to hear it'. The boos and jeers were so loud during his post-match on-court interview with Marion Bartoli, the former player kept on pausing to ensure she could be heard. But this was put to the test by her interviewee, who let off another round of 'sshs' even as the stadium announcer begged the crowd to quieten down. Si Rinderknech bat Hurkacz à Genève on pourrait avoir un 🇺🇸 Fritz ⚡️ Rinderknech 🇫🇷 Quel souvenir de Taylor vs le public Roland Garros 2023 — TennisTemple (@tennistemple) May 21, 2025 'I came out and the crowd was so great, honestly,' Fritz said, sarcastically and barely audibly. 'Like, the crowd was just so great. 'They cheered so well for me, I wanted to make sure that I won. Thanks, guys.' Daniil Medvedev struggled similarly with the crowd that year and went as far as telling that to 'shut up' as he toiled against 172nd-ranked Thiago Seyboth Wild during an unusual testing five-set first-round upset. The Russian star shushed the crowd as they provided a soundtrack to his conversation with the umpire over a wide ball mark, in an echo of his stand-off with fans at the 2019 US Open. Later on that year, Medvedev would raise his middle finger to the French crowd at the Paris Masters - but he managed to show admirable restraint in May. Discussions with umpires, or any resistance to the natural rhythms of a match are often touch paper for fan revolt, with Novak Djokovic falling foul of this a number of times over the course of his career. Never the most coolheaded of players, the Serbian serial champion was heckled in 2023 after loudly criticising the court supervisor for the slipperiness of clay underfoot. That Djokovic was dusting himself off after taking an almighty tumble was irrelevant. Djokovic was also called up a year later after he took understandable objection to being heckled by a supporter in the crowd. Once booed at a tournament, jeers can follow a player from match to match, with Djokovic admitting that it's 'never easy' stepping out in the French capital. Players will instead try and make overtures to the spectators during their media appearances. Coco Gauff has spoken often about how much she enjoys the crowd, and Cam Norrie has previously called upon French fans to 'support him' after he knocked out their countryman Lucas Pouille two years ago. But while the crowd can often be found firmly on the side of the establishment, two instances in 2023 showed how the crowd are unafraid of setting their own standards they feel players must adhere to. Ukrainian player Marta Kostyuk and Russian-born Daria Kasatkina both fell victim to a hostile crowd after opting not to shake hands after their matches with Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka and Kostyuk's compatriot Elina Svitolina respectively. Ukrainian stars had been refusing to shake hands with their Russian and Belarusian peers since the start of Russian aggression in their country in February 2022. Most players, like Kasatkina, who has been vocal about her support for Ukraine and peace in the region, have respected this and not sought the customary handshake. But in both instances, the crowd cared not a jot for the gesture, directing their ire at the players after assuming they had instigated the frosty end to the match. Kasatkina voiced her distress that the crowd had not recognised her gesture on social media, saying that she had left the tournament with a 'very bitter feeling'. Kostyuk gave a highly charged press conference after her match insisting that those who booed should be 'honestly embarrassed'. But there is unlikely to be any shame felt by a crowd committed to controlling the tempo of the atmosphere. That many of these incidents have taken place in recent years is likely no coincidence, with Mail Sport reporting in 2023 that post-Covid there seemed to be greater societal freedom for fans to express their opinions, not matter how how ugly or distracting for the players they can be. It still lingers. Instead of expecting the supporters to calm down, the French Open organisers banned alcohol in the stands in 2024, extending it through this year in a bid to limit bad behaviour. Whether it will spark a shift in the perception of French Open fans long-term remains to be seen. For now, the boos continue to ring round the grounds.

Swift exit for Stearns
Swift exit for Stearns

New York Times

time25-05-2025

  • Sport
  • New York Times

Swift exit for Stearns

Follow our live coverage from the French Open at Roland Garros, with the tournament honoring 14-time champion Rafael Nadal Getty Images Stearns 0-6, 3-6 Lys Peyton Stearns is the first seed to exit this year's French Open, going down in straight sets to Eva Lys. The American, seeded No. 28 after her run to the quarterfinals of the Italian Open in Rome, never really got going against her German opponent. Stearns beat Grand Slam champions Madison Keys and Naomi Osaka, and the resurgent Elina Svitolina, on her run in Italy — winning all three matches in third-set tiebreaks having suffered a series of close defeats to higher-ranked players in the past. This time, she found herself on the other end of the bargain. Sönmez 1-6, 1-6 Svitolina Game over for Zeynep Sönmez, as she is swept away convincingly by Elina Svitolina in the end on Court Suzanne-Lenglen. Next up there will be a home talent in 21-year-old French 37th seed Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, taking on Belgian Zizou Bergs. Svitolina is not the only woman through to the second round of the singles, by the way… It was a topsy-turvy first set that went the way of young Dane Elmer Møller, against Tommy Paul. Møller had a set point when serving at 5-4, got broken, but then rebounded to take the tiebreak 7-5. The owner of a devastating if unconventional backhand, Møller is playing his first match at a Grand Slam — and is now a couple of sets away from a big upset and a first ATP-level match win. Møller 7-6(5), 1-0* Paul How hard is Tommy Paul being made to work in his first-round match? I think the expression on Elmer Møller's face above says it all. The 21-year-old Dane is making his Grand Slam debut — and he takes the opening set over the 12th seed in a tiebreak. It's been an impressive start. Can Paul respond? We are up and running on Court Philippe-Chatrier, with the seats slowly filling up and the No. 1 seed, Aryna Sabalenka up against Kamilla Rakhimova. These two also met in the early rounds of the French Open two years ago, with Sabalenka winning in straight sets. Let's see what we get today. Elina Svitolina has a 25-8 record in 2025 and as you will have seen below, she is well on her way to adding win No. 26 against Turkey's Zeynep Sönmez. The Ukrainian started the year at No. 27 in the world, but deep runs at some of the biggest events of the year to date — and a title in Rouen, France — have propelled her back inside the world's top 15. Keep an eye too on Victoria Mboko, the Canadian 18-year-old who has already won 38 matches in 2025 and is playing in her first Grand Slam main draw. She's up a set on Lulu Sun, the New Zealander who made last year's Wimbledon quarterfinals as a qualifier. Getty Images No early dramas for the women's 13th seed so far. Elina Svitolina rattled through her opening set inside 33 minutes against Turkey's Zeynep Sonmez, 6-1. She is also a break up in the second set and looking good for a swift conclusion off the back of a strong returning display. Svitolina is a former world No. 3 and reached the fourth round at Roland Garros last year, as well as the quarterfinals of the Australian Open in January. We also have play underway on Court Simonne-Mathieu, and with U.S. interest too. Tommy Paul is 12th seed at this French Open, and opening against qualifying lucky loser, Elmer Moller. It's not been the best start either, with Paul already a break down in the opening set. Here's the rest of the order for today: E. Møller (LL) 4-2 T. Paul (12) (LL) 4-2 (12) D. Shnaider (11) vs. A. Sobolieva (Q) (11) vs. (Q) D. Vekić (18) vs. A. Blinkova (18) vs. T. Macháč (21) vs. Q. Halys Again, these are all currently pencilled in for the afternoon session today. The second show court at Roland Garros is Court Suzanne-Lenglen, and you will know that play has already begun here. Elina Svitolina has made a fast start too, against the world No. 76. This is the order of play for today beyond the opening match… Z. Sönmez 1-4 E. Svitolina (13) 1-4 (13) G. Mpetshi Perricard vs. Z. Bergs vs. F. Tiafoe vs. R. Safiullin vs. J. Paolini vs. Y. Yuan The first and last match take place in the women's singles and all are scheduled for today's afternoon session. Let's take you through today's order of play, starting with the first-round matches on the high profile show Court Philippe-Chatrier. Play is due to start here at the top of the coming hour… A. Sabalenka (1) vs. K. Rakhimova (1) vs. A. Pavlyuchenkova vs. Q. Zheng (8) vs. (8) L. Musetti (8) vs. Y. Hanfmann (Q) (8) vs. (Q) B. Shelton (13) vs. L. Sonego So it's two women's singles ties followed by the men, with Ben Shelton's first-round match coming in the evening session — meaning it will not start before 8:15 p.m. local time (2:15 p.m. ET). A very good morning, wherever you are in the world, and welcome again to our live coverage of the French Open at Roland Garros. I have good news. We have tennis taking place in Paris! Specifically, Zeynep Sönmez taking on 13th seed Elina Svitolina on Court Suzanne-Lenglen in the first round of the women's singles. We'll bring you updates from that match and all the key action across the courts at Roland Garros throughout the sessions, today and each day of the championships. But we won't stop there. You'll get insights, stories, analysis, things you didn't know and sidenotes you weren't aware you needed. Welcome to the ride and get in touch with me and my colleagues throughout the French Open, with an email to live@ Getty Images The first day of a Grand Slam is always special — even those on a Sunday, which can feel a little bit like a soft start. This one should be a bit different though, as the main event will be a ceremony for Rafael Nadal to honour the 14-time champion. Last year was his final Roland Garros, but the goodbyes then felt a bit awkward and bittersweet given his clear injury issues (and the fact we didn't know for definite it actually was goodbye, even though everyone kind of did). Hopefully this will be more of a celebration, and some special guests are due to attend. No player has made themselves feel at home like Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros. The Spaniard dominated the men's singles event for 20 years, picking up a record 14 titles along the way. It earned the now-retired Nadal his own statue outside the famous old venue, where he amassed a remarkable 112 wins and just three defeats in his career. He won his first title as a 19-year-old in 2005 and the French Open did not see another winner until 2009. The last of Nadal's titles came in 2022 after years of sweeping aside every possible record. Here are some of the best: Record titles won: 14 14 Highest number of victories at a single major: 112 112 Longest winning streak in Roland Garros history: 39 matches (2010-2015) 39 matches (2010-2015) Seven finals won in straight sets finals won in straight sets Four titles won without dropping a set The first major of the year saw Aryna Sabalenka attempt to become the first woman since Martina Hingis to win three Australian Open titles in a row. And it very nearly happened for Sabalenka, who finished as runner-up to Madison Keys as the American secured her first major title. The 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 match was a thriller with Keys winning match point against the top seed with a forehand in a thrilling final set. On the men's side of the competition, top seed Jannik Sinner secured his second major and second consecutive Australian Open title with victory against Alexander Zverev. He won in three sets, with a backhand to finish things off in a rally that featured a lovely drop shot to get Zverev scampering across the court. As a warm-up on clay for Roland Garros, the Italian Open proved to be an intriguing tournament. Jasmine Paolini was crowned the winner as she overpowered Coco Gauff in the final, 6-4, 6-2. By doing so, she became the second Italian woman in the open era to to win the tournament. Defending champion Iga Świątek went out in the third round while winner of the first major of the year, Madison Keys, exited in the third with world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka eliminated in the quarterfinals. It sets up a tantalising French Open where form and being a favourite could go out of the window. In the last clay competition before Roland Garros, we were treated to a thriller. Carlos Alcaraz picked up his seventh Masters 1000 title with a straight-sets victory against Jannik Sinner to win the Italian Open in Rome. Defending champion Alexander Zverev went out in the quarterfinals against Lorenzo Musetti, while Sinner made his first tournament appearance since serving a three-month ban imposed by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Sinner's appearance in the final made him the first Italian to reach that stage since 1978. Alcaraz's victory made him the youngest man since Rafa Nadal to reach the quarterfinals of all nine ATP 1000 events. Getty Images Welcome to Roland Garros, where it rains! Something the English are very familiar with. The 2025 French Open will begin under grey skies in Paris, with a smattering of rain disrupting players' practices this morning. The usual calculus for tennis is rain stops play. At a clay-court tournament, things are a little more complicated. Cooler weather means a given shot will fly more slowly through the air than in warmer conditions; the ball will also bounce lower when it lands. Clay is already the slowest surface in tennis and in damp, cool weather the matches can very quickly get sludgy. If it really starts raining, the two biggest courts have roofs. Court Philippe-Chatrier is the biggest and has had coverage since 2020, while Court Suzanne-Lenglen unveiled its flowing canopy in 2024. The latter is a bit different to other tennis roofs, because it is open to the elements at the sides of the court, while Chatrier's roof — like those at Wimbledon plus the U.S. Australian Opens — creates a more hermetic seal. For now, only clouds loom before play begins at 11 a.m. local time (5 a.m. Eastern). We would love to hear from you. Be it a comment, question, observation, prediction, or something else — we welcome it all. Email us at: live@ and we'll feature the best in our live coverage. So get involved! And what about the women's tournament? Well, that threw up some tantalising first-round matches too. We can't wait for these: Naomi Osaka vs Paula Badosa Jasmine Paolini vs Yue Yuan Rebecca Sramkova vs Iga Świątek Olivia Gadecki vs Coco Gauff

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