Like a genie slipping back in the bottle, it was almost as if Rafael Nadal’s legendary Parisian aura shifted to Iga Swiatek and then, just 24 hours later, to the fellow Spaniard who dreamed of supplanting the King of Clay.
It’s much too soon to compare Nadal’s record-breaking career and the paths of the two twentysomethings, but there’s no doubt that Swiatek and Alcaraz should be included in the Rafa conversation.
Especially when the topic is clay.
At 23, Swiatek secured her third straight French Open title, the fourth of her career. Nadal did the same at 22.
But beyond the outcome, there’s the process.
Aside from the scare Naomi Osaka gave her in round two, Iga made her race to the title seem like a walk in the park. In her last five confrontations, she dropped only 17 games and won 60.
Read also: Farewell Serena Williams - Remembering the 2022 National Bank Open
The reigning queen of the WTA is also the undisputed Queen of Clay.
Another day, another record
Just when you thought some of Rafa’s accomplishments were untouchable, along comes his successor Carlos Alcaraz, who claimed the championship in Paris and a record from Nadal and the legends of the modern era.
Read also: Carlos Alcaraz, A Man for All Surfaces
With the RG 2024 crown he earned at Alexander Zverev’s expense, he became the youngest man to win a major on all three surfaces.
And he’s only 21.
And he did it back-to-back-to-back (another record!).
Exit, Rafa
The shadow of Rafael Nadal didn’t hang over Roland-Garros for very long.
Just as everyone feared, he struggled to find his form and was shown the door by Zverev in the opening round. The last time Rafa folded in week one was a third-round ousting back in 2016.
The match that may have been Nadal’s final appearance at RG was such a monumental event that even the World Nos. 1 and 3 were spotted in the stands, just like any other fans.
In 18 consecutive appearances in Paris (he skipped 2023), Rafa set a record of 112 wins and three losses that puts him at an astounding 97.4 per cent.
Read also: Rafael Nadal’s Unforgettable First in Montréal
Complete Coco
She was floating. Literally.
Just a few days after a disappointing loss in the semis of the singles draw, Coco Gauff raised her very first major doubles trophy thanks to an eleventh-hour decision to pair up with doubles specialist and eight-time Grand Slam champion Katerina Siniakova.
For a trial run, the experience was pretty conclusive.
After RG, Gauff ascended to World No. 2 in singles and No. 12 in doubles. Sitting in the top tiers of the women’s rankings, Coco is unquestionably the most versatile player in the WTA.
Forza Italia !
Italian tennis is having a moment.
Fans got to celebrate the refreshing emergence of surprise RG finalist Jasmine Paolini and their country’s very first men’s World No. 1 in Jannik Sinner.
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At 28 years old, Paolini competed in her first-ever Grand Slam final and broke into the Top 10. On Monday morning, she woke up as the new World No. 7 (up 8 spots) after what must have felt like a dream sequence.
Paolini is the first Italian woman to battle her way into the final since Sara Errani in 2012. And in a weird and wonderful tennis coincidence, Paolini joined forces with none other than Errani in the doubles final. What are the odds?!
Meanwhile in the men’s draw, Sinner acceded to the throne, became the first Italian man to do so and made basically every Italian headline in the process.
With 33 wins, three losses and three titles, Jannik is definitely the ATP player of the year.
Although he was toppled by Alcaraz in the semis, the epic clash points to a budding rivalry that could fuel men’s tennis for the next decade.
The ATP's best return to Montreal this summer for the National Bank Open August 3 to 12, 2024 at IGA Stadium. 2024 Tickets are on sale. Get your tickets today!
Feature Photo : Martin Sidorjak
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