There are signs that some ATP and WTA Tour veterans and major stars are taking it easy at the French Open or even giving it a miss. This was already apparent when men like Andy Murray skipped the tournament and Roger Federer dropped out of the clay-court slam citing injury concerns. It was then highlighted further by Naomi Osaka, who felt that media and crowd attention in Paris would be detrimental to her wellbeing.
Clearly, this is something that French Open organizers will have to rectify if their tournament is going to attract the strongest draws it possibly can in the future.
So, who are the players who gave the French capital a wide berth this summer, and how will their time away from the spotlight affect their upcoming showings on the green grass of Wimbledon?
The stresses and strains of clay court tennis are increasingly being dodged by some of the biggest names in the game, who want to avoid injuries at all cost
Roger Federer – Resisting Retirement to the Bitter End
If there is one thing that Roger Federer adores it is donning his all-white outfit and soaking up the applause of his cooing admirers from the English capital.
However, the days of him easily delivering Wimbledon titles for those sports bettors who heavily backed him are well and truly gone, with his last title triumph at the All-England Club occuring all the way back in 2017 followed by him subsequently sliding down the tennis odds lines. That said, there will still be a few diehard Fed fans who will be keen to use FanDuel promo codes to take advantage of the inflated odds that are available online, willing the Swiss to roll back the years this summer.
The reason why Federer is reducing his schedule to the bare minimum is a recurrent knee injury which he has had at least two operations on; it could ultimately see him bow out of the sport with no more grand slam titles under his belt, leaving the door open for Nadal and Djokovic to usurp his legacy. It remains to be seen if he will ever return to Roland Garros.
Only robotic players like Novak Djokovic seem as adept on clay as they are on the grass
Andy Murray – One Last Stand on Murray’s Mount
Andy Murray – One Last Stand on Murray’s MountAnother tennis star beset by niggling injuries is Andy Murray, who has been in the process of trying to make comebacks for the last couple of years.
Whereas Federer still attempted to soldier on through the French Open, the Scot chose to skip Roland Garros altogether, in the hope that he can piece his body together in time for Wimbledon.
Unfortunately for his fans, there is more likelihood of current British number 1 Dan Evans going deep in the draw than Murray. Having said that, his mere presence at SW1 will no doubt invigorate the crowd.
It is unlikely that Murray will be making a return to Roland Garros as a professional tennis player.
Serena Williams – Counting on Wimbledon for that Elusive Last Slam
Williams’ search for that precious 24th grand slam title, that would see her equal the record held by Margaret Court, was stretched out a little longer in Paris as she fell in the 4th round to Elena Rybakina.
However, there was a sense that the younger Williams sister had her mind on preparing for Wimbledon instead, where she has amassed seven of her grand slam titles. Her big hitting game is suited to grass, where she can pick up easy points and save herself for later rounds.
After her defeat to Rybakina, Williams refused to say whether she would return to Paris or not, but with her last title there happening in 2015, it would seem her efforts are better off being focused elsewhere.
Naomi Osaka – Calling Roland’s Bluff
French Open organizers badly miscalculated things when they decided to fine Osaka for not committing to do press conferences in Paris, because instead of arguing the matter, the biggest new name in women’s tennis withdrew from the tournament.
It will now be down to Wimbledon organizers to decide how they proceed if they are faced with the same decision.
Roger Federer in 2021
At the moment ranked no.8, Roger played his last match on the 16th of June when he lost to world no.19 Felix Auger-Aliassime 4-6 6-3 6-2 in the 2nd round in Halle (draw).
Currently, during this season the Swiss achieved a composed 5-3 win-loss record.
Murray in Wimbledon, ranking, and results in 2021
Currently the world no.118, Andy has achieved an overall 7-4 match record in 2021. The Brit is now having a run in Wimbledon where he conquered Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-4 6-3 5-7 6-3.
Andy was the finalist in the Biella 1 Challenger.
The Brit won 46 titles in his career: 20 on hard courts, 3 on clay courts, 14 on indoor courts, 1 on carpet courts and 8 on grass courts. (See the list of his titles)
Roger Federer and Andy Murray fought against each other 25 times. Their record is 14-11 for Federer. The last time they played each other, Roger Federer won 6-4 7-6(6) in the semifinal in Cincinnati (Western & Southern Open) in August 2015.
Serena Williams in 2021
Ranked no.8, the American played her last match on the 6th of June when she capitulated to world no.20 Elena Rybakina 6-3 7-5 in the 4th round of the French Open (draw).
Presently, during this year Serena has a 12-4 record. Serena Williams’s best result of this year was reaching the semifinal in Melbourne and at the Australian Open.
Naomi Osaka in 2021
Currently the world no.2, Osaka played her last match on the 30th of May when she overcame world no.63 Patricia Maria Tig 6-4 7-6(4) in the 1st round of the French Open (draw).
This year Naomi has a 14-3 win-loss record. Naomi has won 1 title at the Australian Open.
Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka played each other 4 times. The head to head is 3-1 for Osaka. The last time they played each other, Naomi Osaka won 6-3 6-4 in the semifinal in Melbourne (Australian Open) on the 18th of February 2021.
In the following video you can watch the highlights.
Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka |
| Embed from Getty Images |
