French Open
Roger Federer withdraws from the hustle and bustle and wants actions to speak instead of words, and his therapist has to stay outside
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For the first time in over twenty years, Roger Federer takes part in a Grand Slam tournament in which he does not see himself able to play for the title. It is a turning point in his career.
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Back in Paris after two years: Roger Federer.
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Roger Federer did not travel to Paris at the beginning of the week as usual, but only on Wednesday evening, where he trained with the Russian Aslan Karazew on Thursday and with the Belgian David Goffin on Friday. He had previously prepared for the French Open in Geneva and the Zurich region, to which his trainers Severin Lüthi and Ivan Ljubicic and physiotherapist Daniel Troxler also traveled. However, he is not allowed on the system because only two accompanying persons are allowed. But that is neither a problem nor unusual: Troxler’s work does not take place on the system anyway, but in the hotel or accommodation.
As of Sunday, the players are only allowed to stay on the facility on those days when they are in action. Private accommodation is not allowed. They are housed in a bubble in one of the two official hotels of the tournament. Safety comes first.
Two years ago, Federer came to a Grand Slam tournament for the first time without his family. It can be assumed that his wife Mirka and the four children will not be in Paris this year either. For Federer, the French Open, which he won in 2009, and in which he was also in the final four more times, marked a turning point in his career. Because for the first time in over two decades he is competing in a Grand Slam tournament without figuring out any chances of winning the title. That doesn’t fit with the self-image of a 20-time Grand Slam winner, but it is due to the long injury break.
Pleasure to have you back, @rogerfederer ????#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/Fz7La44Wfa
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 27, 2021
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In Geneva, where Federer played a tournament on clay for the first time in over two years last week and lost in the starting round, the 39-year-old could not hide the fact that he not only lacked match practice, but also lacked confidence in his own strengths . Federer said: “It may sound strange to call the French Open preparation for the grass season, but that’s the way it is. I would like to say that Paris is the ultimate destination, but it would be inappropriate to say that anything is possible there for me. Because that’s not it. ” Unusual: Federer preferred not to attend any media appointments before the French Open. The opponent in the first round is the Uzbek qualifier Denis Istomin (34, ATP 203).
A statue for favorite Rafael Nadal
The favorite in Paris is once again Rafael Nadal, who is the record winner in Paris with 13 successes. Even before the tournament, a statue was unveiled in honor of the 34-year-old Spaniard in the shadow of the Court Philippe Chatrier. In 100 victories at the French Open, Nadal has only suffered two defeats, one of them in the 2015 quarter-finals against the Serb Novak Djokovic (34, ATP 1), who is putting the finishing touches on himself this week in Belgrade and will be Nadal’s greatest challenger . Or maybe the only one? Because the Austrian Dominic Thiem (27, ATP 4) has already defeated Nadal four times on clay, but never in Paris, where he lost in the final against the Spaniard in 2018 and 2019. In addition, Thiem is looking for forms.
It looks good, no? ????#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/pIfHucH77T
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 27, 2021
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Dominic Thiem looking for forms
Thiem’s advantage: He was drawn to the lower half of the tableau, which is less occupied, and can therefore only meet Nadal or Djokovic in the final. Because the Russian Daniil Medvedev (25), who does not feel particularly comfortable on the sand and has not yet won a single game in Paris, is number 2 in the world ahead of Nadal, Nadal and Djokovic can already meet in the semifinals. Outsiders are the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas (22, ATP 5), who won the title in Monte Carlo and most recently in Lyon, the German Alexander Zverev (24, ATP 6), Andrei Rublew (23, ATP 7). The most popular favorites among women are Australian Ashleigh Barty (25, WTA 1), Polish last year’s winner Iga Swiatek (19, WTA 9) and Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka (24, WTA 4), who won in Madrid.
–In autumn, Iga Swiatek’s star rose with victory in Paris.
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Belinda Bencic with a difficult lot
Belinda Bencic (24, WTA 12), who never got further than the third round in Paris, probably also has small ambitions. In addition, she will meet the Argentine Nadia Podoroska (24, WTA 42), who reached the semi-finals in Paris last autumn. Another difficult task awaits Viktorija Golubic (28, WTA 72), who competes against Estin Anett Kontaveit (25), who is 30th. Henri Laaksonen (29, ATP 150) qualified for the main draw after fending off three match points in the tie-break in the final. In the first round he meets the German Yannick Hanfmann (29, ATP 93).
Stefanie Vögele (31, WTA 131) from Aargau was also able to qualify and now meets the Italian Jasmine Paolini (25, WTA 91). In the final of the qualification, however, the Ticino Susan Bandecchi (22, WTA 219) failed. She could slip into the main field if canceled.
–Henri Laaksonen fought his way through qualifying in Paris.
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Less prize money and evening games without an audience
The prize money was reduced by 10.5 percent to a total of 34.4 million euros. Losers in the first two rounds still get the same amount. The winners for men and women are happy about 1.4 million euros (in 2020 it was 1.6 million euros each). In doubles, the prize money for everyone was cut by almost a quarter. There are also evening games in Paris for the first time ever this year. Two men’s and two women’s matches should take place in the evening. These last games of the day are scheduled as ghost games without an audience. The reason is the night curfew in France, which then starts at 9 p.m.
At the beginning of the tournament, up to 5,833 spectators can be present on the facility every day, 1,000 in each of the three largest arenas, from the quarter-finals up to 5,000 (13,000 per day). Usually the facility offers space for 38,000 people. From June 9th, viewers will also have to present a health pass that provides information about a negative corona test, a vaccination or a recently recovered Covid-19 disease. The tournament serves as a “pilot event” for the pass approved by the French National Assembly. It is a central measure to relax the corona requirements.
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