The French Open men’s tournament was one in which the favorite, the man expected to win the tournament all along, became the champion and earned his place in tennis history. That was the biggest story, a story of the predictable event coming true. However, what else happened at the French Open which made news over the past two weeks at Stade Roland Garros?
Novak Djokovic Has Strengthened His Case As The Greatest Player Ever
There is a link among Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer now that Djokovic has won the French Open: All three players have won each of the four Grand Slam tournaments. Djokovic finally won his first French Open in Paris, getting that monkey off his back in a way which was similar to what Federer did in 2009. Djokovic might have fewer Grand Slam titles than Nadal or Federer, but he has now done two things Nadal and Federer never did. First, Djokovic has won four major titles in a row. Federer and Nadal never achieved that, though they won three in a row at different times in their careers. Only Rod Laver in 1969 joins Djokovic in the Open Era of men’s tennis as a man who won four different Grand Slam tournaments.
What no man had ever done in men’s tennis is to win four straight Grand Slam titles on three different surfaces. When Laver won the Grand Slam in 1969, he won those four tournaments on grass and clay. Djokovic has won four in a row on grass, clay and hardcourt. This is a first-of-its-kind event. If Djokovic continues to win more Grand Slams and merely comes close to Federer’s 17 Grand Slam championships, many will call him the best ever, and it will be hard to say otherwise.
Andy Murray Really Is The Second-Best Clay-Court Player In The World Right Now
The fact that Murray beat Rafael Nadal in Madrid and then beat Novak Djokovic in Rome suggested that the Scot might have been ready to be called the second-best clay player in the world on the ATP side. In order to prove it, however, he needed to make his first Roland Garros final and play Djokovic. He did that, and moreover, he did that by dethroning the defending Roland Garros champion, Stan Wawrinka, in the semifinals. Murray’s win over Wawrinka was easily his best match of 2016, and it might be remembered as one of the very best of his career. Murray has rarely played with such sustained energy and power against a top player. It’s something he can take through the rest of the 2016 tennis season at Wimbledon and beyond.
Injuries Continue To Take Away From The ATP
The injury to Rafael Nadal cast a large shadow over this tournament. Roger Federer was never a serious threat, but Nadal was supposed to play Djokovic in the semifinals and make the Serbian earn this title. When that didn’t happen, a lot of people were disappointed. Milos Raonic also suffered a hip injury. Jo Wilfried Tsonga had to retire from a match. Injuries really messed up this tournament for the men.
Kei Nishikori Is In Trouble
Nishikori is in his mid-20’s and he’s no longer that “young up-and-comer”. If there’s a guy who should be challenging Djokovic and Murray for major titles while Federer and Nadal are injured, it’s him. Yet, he lost in the fourth round to Richard Gasquet. Every time you think he’s getting close to taking that next steps, he falls back to the pack. He made it to the 2014 U.S. Open and the hope was that he’d breakthrough in subsequent Grand Slams. Instead, he didn’t get past the quarters in the 2015 Australian Open or the 2015 French Open. After that, he lost in the second round at Wimbledon and the first round at last year’s U.S. Open. Again he made a quarterfinal at the 2016 Australian Open but followed that up with a fourth-round exist at the French Open. This career is passing by, and Nishikori has little to show for what he has. He’s 52-26 lifetime at Grand Slams now but has only made it to one final and four quarterfinals. Other than that, he hasn’t threatened.
