Naomi Osaka’s epic French Open of 2024
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Naomi Osaka
Poland’s Iga Swiatek and Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz survived to win the European clay court Grand Slam singles title in Paris. The weather turned out to be difficult for the players and organisers. Former WTA No.1 Annalisa Mauresmo is the tournament director of the event. She had to cope with uninterrupted rain and limited indoor venues to complete the event on time.
Paris weather
In fact, the first week of the event played mostly indoors. Matches went well past the mid night mark each day. One match with Djokovic finished at 3.30am. Subsequently Djokovic retired with knee injury, opinion pointed the finger at the organisers for his injury. Organisers have the responsibility to finish the event on time, find 90 million Euros as prize money, present appealing event at the Roland Garros and serve global TV audience. A seat in the stadium court from quarter-finals onwards cost averaged Euro 200 per match and income from TV rights went into unknown millions. All of these are not easy money but huge responsibility in delivery.
Prize money
In the open era players paid from qualifying events onwards. This is ATP and WTA achievement after a long crusade from 1972. These two professional bodies act as promoters of talent, watchdog looking after player interest and maintain the players’ conduct. Such is the umbrella in which open events are conducted.
Titles
WTA No.1 Iga Swiatek won the Paris Grand Slam event, tactically outplaying and outpacing Italian Jasmine Paolini. The Italian is short by known standards of the game, she herself joked stating that her secret weapon is her height. She is only 5 foot 4 inches tall. She made it out to be good with her grit on court. She walked pass two six footers in the quarter and semi-final to reach the finals. Many from the Top 10 of the WTA ranking did not make good in French Open 2024. Paolini is WTA 12 in the ranking.
Osaka’s big match
The best match of the women’s event was the second round between Naomi Osaka and Iga Swiatek. Unseeded Osaka returning from a break had two match points against Swiatek in the final set but missed to convert. This three-setter was the best women’s match of 2024 French Open. No other players was able to match Swiatek’s venom and shot selection in the manner of Osaka did. Very soon, meaning before the year is out, Osaka will be in the Top 10 of the WTA ranking.
Carlos Alcaraz again
In the men’s final, Alexander Zevrev out played Carlos Alcaraz to lead 2-1. Alcaraz then resorted to outlasting rally tactics extending every rally and the match into the fourth and fifth sets. Alcaraz won the title in five sets. Zevrev, known to be good on slow surfaces, but ran out of steam playing five sets.
Mid way of European
tennis
Sabalenka WTA No.2 is still nursing a personal loss she experience in March this year. European clay circuit left a long injury list. In the men’s final, Alcaraz too got medics to attend on him. No player can fake here. Medics report can place players into an inquiry, fines and suspension. For the sake of the image of the game, these done behind closed doors.
Women’s tennis had two new names surfacing into limelight in Paris. They are Jasmin Paolini of Italy and Russia’s Mirra Andreeva of Russia. Andreeva’s coach is former world No.1, Conchita Martinez of Spain. The 17 year-old Andreeva is still ‘work in progress’ player. Poalini outlasted her in the semi-finals.
Nagel of India
Nagel is a man who knows ATP tennis. Having won the Junior Doubles title in Wimbledon is pursuing his plans. He is risen to 77 in the ATP ranking. Top 100 in ATP respected in tennis. He says he is on track in achieving what he wants. At the French Open he lost to Russian Karen Kachanov, nearly foot at and half taller than him, it showed when they shook hands at the end of the match.
Boom-boom Becker
To my memory and opinion arguably, Pete Sampras in men and Steffi Graf in women are the two players who could hit winner around any player from anywhere. Their success influenced player development. When Boris Becker was at his peak, watching him play in southern France, French television described him as boom-boom Becker. What we have in Iga Swiatek and in Carlos Alcaraz are samples of boom-boom Becker era.
Very few players leave a nostalgic memory of being a graceful stroke maker. Of recent, Roger Federer is another. Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz are forceful not graceful. Both had injuries last year, it too early in their carrier for it to happen. Violent stroke makers injured easily and the balance is not easy to achieve in professional tennis competition.
–George Paldano, European and Asian competition player; Coach German Tennis Federation; National coach Brunei and Sri Lanka; Davis Cup, Federation Cup coach, coached ATP, WTA and ITF ranked players in Europe and Asia; WhatsApp +94775448880–