Usually, Roland Garros takes place the last week of May and ends the first week in June. This year, in truth “The Year of COVID-19”, usually doesn’t apply to very much of anything. Because of the pandemic, the key has been being adaptable and flexible. This was the impetus that forced the bold move made in mid-March by the Fédération Française de Tennis that postponed (not canceled) this year’s event. September 20th to October 4th were the dates first selected for the competition. Then showing a touch of French flair, it was decided to nudge the championships a bit further along in the calendar to September 27th until October 11th.
The result was a unique and fascinating tournament. The fortnight in Paris was, in a word, memorable and deserves more after the Terre battue has settled back on the courts, “Un Dernier Regard” (A Last Look).
Firsts…
Each of the majors owns a standalone position for being distinct. Stade Roland Garros showcased an impressive array of “Firsts…”
Topping the list was Iga Świątek turning the Women’s singles into her tournament. The 19-year-old from Poland dominated Australian Open titlist, Sofia Kenin of the US, 6-4, 6-1 in the final to win her inaugural title.
But, her record setting didn’t stop there. She was the youngest to win in Paris since Monica Seles, then from Yugoslavia, in 1992, and at No. 54, the lowest ranked performer to claim the championship since computer rankings were initially used in 1975. In seven matches, the most games she relinquished were five. (They were in the second and third rounds, to Hsieh Su-Wei of China, 6-1, 6-4 and Eugenie Bouchard of Canada, 6-3, 6-2, along with Kenin in the final).
After the match with Hsieh, Świątek delightfully shared the fact that ten years earlier at the Warsaw Open, she had been a ball person and had had a chance to hit with Hsieh. This, of course, is not just a fact, but an important reflection on the game as a whole. The same can be said of Świątek becoming the first Polish player to win a Grand Slam tournament singles trophy.
Eighty-one years ago, countrywoman Jadwiga Jędrzejowska, known as “Jed” or “Ja Ja” was a Roland Garros finalist in 1939, losing to Simonne Mathieu, the legendary French player for whom the show court at the facility is named, 6-3, 8-6. (Though that year, “Jed…Ja Ja”, won the doubles with Mathieu defeating Alice Florian and Hella Kovac from Yugoslavia, 7-5, 7-5.) Jedrzejowska is known to a few stalwart fans, but Agnieszka Radwanska has been acknowledged often. The Kraków native, who won 20 titles before retiring in 2018, was a quarterfinalist in 2013 in her favorite city – Paris.
The original stadium at Stade Roland Garros was built in 1928 so that France would have a suitable venue to host its first Davis Cup defense. Led by the fabled “Four Musketeers” (les Quatre Mousquetaires) – Jean Borotra, Jacques ‘Toto’ Brugnon Henri Cochet, René Lacoste – France retained the Cup and continued its dominance until 1933. Known as Court Central, the stadium was christened Court Philippe Chatrier in 2001 to honor the memory of the respected French tennis administrator. The facility has been refurbished numerous times over the years, but nothing can compare to the breathtaking changes that took place for 2020. For the first time in tournament history, a closeable roof covered the magnificent structure which has seating now for 15,000 spectators. Originally, there was a plan to add lighting to just the four show courts, but the pandemic brought about the tournament schedule changes and allowed for more construction. The result was twelve lighted courts. (In the past, lighting was dependent on the sun and a lengthy twilight. Obviously, there is much less light and twilight in autumn.)
Another of the “Firsts” was that Stefanos Tsitsipas became the first Greek player to reach the semifinals at Roland Garros. That was before he was edged out by the top seeded Serbian Novak Djokovic, 6-3, 6-2, 5-7, 4-6, 6-1.
The women’s qualifying had two “Firsts”. Renata Zarazúa played through the “Qualies” and put her name in the Mexican tennis history book. She became the first female from her country since Angélica Gavaldón in 1994 to reach the second round of singles where she pushed Elina Svitolina before the No. 3 seeded Ukrainian was finally able to gain a 6-3, 0-6, 6-2 victory.
Mayar Sherif, who played intercollegiate tennis at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, became the first Egyptian woman to qualify for a major. A 2020 Grand Slam Development Fund grant recipient, the No. 171 ranked player at the start of the tournament, proved to be formidable as she forced Karolína Plíšková, the No. 2 seeded Czech, to work overtime, in the first round, to secure a 6-7, 6-2, 6-4 win.
Ons Jabeur of Tunisia earned applause by becoming the first Arab woman to reach the Roland Garros last 16 when she defeated No. 9 seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, 7-6, 2-6, 6-3 in the third round. She was eliminated by Danielle Collins of the US, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, in her next encounter.
