The French Open is over. The women’s tournament figured to be wild and wacky, and it was. Jelena Ostapenko became the first woman from Latvia to win a major singles title. She also became a rarity over the past 50 years in tennis: an unseeded player who won a Grand Slam event. What is important to take away from this tournament? In certain ways, the answers won’t be known for awhile, but there are short-term discoveries which are valuable no matter what might happen in the future.
Simona Halep Lost An Opportunity But Gained A Lesson
There is no denying that Simona Halep will remain frustrated with herself after losing a 3-0 lead in the second set of the women’s final against Ostapenko. She easily could have pushed that lead to 4-0 and probably finished off the match, but she made important mistakes which enabled Ostapenko to stay close and then gather momentum. She will carry some regrets, but if she eventually wins a Grand Slam title, those regrets will go away, and she might even look upon this loss as an event which helped her career.
The big thing for Halep, beyond Saturday’s loss, is that she still grew as a competitor. She won a tough three-set semifinal against Karolina Pliskova, but she also won a quarterfinal against Elina Svitolina after being down 6-3, 5-1, in the second set. She could have given up all hope, but instead she fought with determination. She might have learned something powerful about herself and realized she can compete better than she used to in the past. This was not a complete success for Halep, but she still might have grown up in ways which will help her in the future.
Ostapenko Did What Many Others Fail To Do
The ability to hit one big shot after another, but to also risk mistakes in pursuit of an aggressive game plan and a tactical advantage, is something that a lot of tennis pros don’t do. Yet, 20-year-old Jelena Ostapenko stuck with her game plan and her basic approach – not only against Halep in the final, but throughout the tournament. She lost sets in five of seven matches. She didn’t win matches easily. However, she regularly bounced back and kept hitting big shots. She was able to find her accuracy even though she lost it at times. This is an example on how to stick with a plan.
Garbine Muguruza Needs To Compete Better
The fact that Garbine Muguruza was caught off guard by a hostile French crowd in her fourth-round match against French player Kristina Mladenovic is revealing. Muguruza was playing in her opponent’s home country, and that contributed to her loss. Muguruza was emotionally upset and clearly disturbed by the emotions of the crowd and the match. She might have realized how important it is to block out the outside distractions that are part of a match at a big tournament. Maybe she will become more focused and inspired in the future, which could lead to more Grand Slam championships and the fulfillment of her enormous potential.
Angelique Kerber Probably Won’t Rebound This Season
The World No. 1 player got crushed in the first round by a player, Ekaterina Makarova, who lost in her next match. It is hard to explain or overstate how miserable Kerber looks on the court. She became the first player in the modern era to be a No. 1 seed and lose in the first round at Roland Garros. What’s scary is that loss shouldn’t even surprise you. She lost in her first match at the Rome Masters as well. At the Madrid Masters, she only made it to the Round of 16. In Stuttgart, she lost in the first round.
It is even more difficult to imagine how Kerber will rebound before 2017 is over. She will probably need to regroup in the offseason and come back strong in 2018. There doesn’t seem to be a quick fix in sight; Kerber must rely on a longer process. The only good news is that grass is typically her best surface. She lost only twice on grass last year and once the year before.
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