Paris beauty: Winners and losers from the French Open

Once the dust settles at the end of a Grand Slam, in this case, the French Open, knee-jerk reactions can be seen and read everywhere. Who lets a once-in-a-lifetime chance slip by? Did this player fail to reach their expectations?

The radical shift in the outlook on a player’s career can drastically change over a fortnight. The second major of the year in Paris is no different.

In this article, I take a broad view of a handful of players that made the most of their time in Paris and a select group that left the tennis world wanting. Without further ado, here we go.

French Open: Who won and who lost?

Winners

Novak Djokovic 

We start with an easy one. By becoming the winningest player in the history of Grand Slam tennis with his 23rd triumph, Djokovic has cemented his place in history. The fact that he did it in mostly routine fashion in the final 7-6 (1), 6-3 7-5, was the cherry on top.

He is now the only man ever to win each Grand Slam event at least three times. Add this to he now rises back to World No. 1, not many people had a better two weeks in Paris.

Iga Swiatek

Not many players become synonymous with a singular Grand Slam tournament. Nadal at Roland Garros. Federer and Serena at Wimbledon.  Djokovic at the Australian Open. By winning her 3rd French Open crown at the tender age of 22, Swiatek could be on her way to racking up a half dozen. 9? At this level already, and only improving why can’t she get there?

Tomas Martin Etcheverry

Losing in the Quarterfinals in a 4-set war with Alexander Zverev was not the Hollywood ending the young Argentine hoped for. However, it put the shot-making 23-year-old on the map and he has now risen 17 spots to a new career-high ranking of No. 32. If he can find a way to build on this, we could see him back here again sooner than later.

Losers

Daniil Medvedev 

Coming into the clay court season, Medvedev is not normally the first name on people’s lips when discussing possible contenders in Paris. However, after winning the Masters 1000 event on the clay in Rome, it was thought perhaps he had turned a corner on the dirt and could really push deep. Unfortunately, this proved to be false thinking as he fell in the 1st round in a 5-setter to the Brazilian journeyman Thiago Seyboth Wild. Back to the drawing board for Medvedev.

Aryna Sabalenka 

It might seem harsh to put a French Open semifinalist in this category, which is a valid argument. However, the mercurial Belarusian falls into this section mainly on how she crashed out. Up 5-2 in the deciding set against an unseeded foe only to lose five games in a row in brutal fashion is the definition of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

French tennis

Not a single men’s or women’s player from France made it into the 3rd round at Roland Garros. For an event that sees the home favorites receive such immense support, this was disappointing to see. Gael Monfils’ 1st round heroics were sensational to watch, but they were short-lived as he withdrew from the event shortly thereafter. A youth injection is needed as there does not seem to be a new wave coming anytime soon.

Every Grand Slam event can be combed over to find surprise stories, stunning upsets, and crushing losses. This year’s version of the pinnacle of clay-court tennis was no different. While it ended with two expected champions, the road, as ever, was a memorable journey.