11) Roland Garros: Petra Kvitova returns to tennis
Nearly six months after a home invader severely injured her left hand, an attack which resulted in questions as to whether she would ever be able to play again, Kvitova returned to professional tennis at the French Open. It was a highly emotional moment: not only for Petra, but also for many of her fellow players who came out to the court to witness her return. While the result of the match was of lesser importance on this day, Kvitova prevailed despite her hand not being fully recovered.
12) Roland Garros: Steve Johnson overcomes grief to prevail
This is best described as “The agony of defeat, and the agony of victory.” Just a few weeks after the sudden death of his father, Johnson defeated Borna Coric in a grueling four-set second round match at the French Open. Immediately after match point, Johnson collapsed to the court in a full-on sob, while Coric destroyed his racket by whacking the court repeatedly. In an on-court interview a few moments later, Johnson struggled to get the words out through tears. Fans, announcers, and fellow players were all moved by the scenes on Court 6 in Paris.
13) Roland Garros: Nicolas Almagro forced to retire against Juan Martin Del Potro
The very next day at Roland Garros saw another of the most touching moments in 2017. Shortly after the start of the third set, Almagro withdrew from his second round match against Del Potro due to a knee injury. As Almagro lay on his back and cried, Del Potro, a man who knows all too well the frustration that comes with being injured, went over and comforted his opponent.
14) Roland Garros: Jelena Ostapenko shocks the tennis world
Ostapenko had never won a title of any kind, but stormed through the French Open draw with fearless shot making. Jelena’s team was even more excited than the Latvian herself.
15) Roland Garros: Rafael Nadal wins his tenth French Open
After picking up his tenth titles in both Monte Carlo and Barcelona earlier in the year, Nadal won his mind-boggling tenth French Open title without dropping a set. This was clearly a special moment for Rafa, made even more special by having Uncle Toni brought onto the court during the trophy presentation in what will be Toni’s last French Open as Nadal’s coach.
The second part of the 32 most emotional moments of 2017 will be published on December 27th.
