French Open talking points: What next for Djokovic, Nadal; Alcaraz reigns supreme; can Swiatek dominate on grass?

On Saturday, Iga Swiatek further stamped her authority at Roland Garros with her third straight title. A day later, Carlos Alcaraz highlighted he’s a man for all surfaces by adding the French Open title to his Wimbledon and US Open crowns. Coco Gauff has now won majors in singles and doubles following her title success alongside Katerina Siniakova. At the other end of the net, Jasmine Paolini reached the final of both the singles and doubles events and lost. Mate Pavic made history in men’s doubles by completing a career Grand Slam. There was continued dominance in wheelchair tennis: Diede de Groot won a record 22nd Grand Slam, her 14th in a row, for most among women. 18-year-old Tokito Oda won his fourth major title in a successful Roland Garros title defence.

We take a look at the talking points that emerged over 15 days of French Open tennis.

What next for Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal?

For the first time in 20 years, neither Djokovic nor Nadal have won the first two Grand Slams in a year. As Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev slogged it off for over four hours, it was the first French Open final without the Big 3 - Djokovic, Nadal and Roger Federer - since 2004. With Federer retired, Nadal clearing he’s not focused on Wimbledon and Djokovic going under the knife, we could get a first major without the trio since 1999. For both, the target is to stick to clay and prepare for the Summer Olympics at Roland Garros.

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“My main goal now is to play the Olympics,” Nadal said after his first round loss to Zverev in Paris.

As far as symmetry goes, two-time Olympic gold medallist Nadal playing his last at Roland Garros is quite pleasing.

Meanwhile, for Djokovic, it is an opportunity to stake a claim at something he’s never achieved in his storied career: an Olympic gold medal. For the 24-time Grand Slam winner, the best at an Olympics has been a bronze medal in singles in 2008.

In April, Djokovic had said, “I said recently that I really wanted to play at least until the LA Olympic Games [in 2028], but you never know, at this stage. What can happen or how far I can go.”

New age rivalry: Alcaraz vs Jannik Sinner

After clinching his first Grand Slam title in Melbourne, Jannik Sinner added a new milestone to his ever-improving CV: the top ranking. “I am in the middle of the season. There are very important tournaments coming up — there is Wimbledon. It’s a great achievement, which I am going to celebrate with my loved ones, for sure, at some point. Obviously very happy; it’s a dream come true. But in other ways, now new challenges are coming up,” he said on the achievement.

Sinner replaced Novak Djokovic atop the ATP rankings and is the first player from Italy to reach No. 1 spot since the computerised rankings began in 1973.

The Italian is 33-3 in 2024 with three titles. Two of those defeats have come against Alcaraz - with whom he’s built quite the rivalry.

The head-to-head between the duo stood at 4-4 coming into their French Open semi-final. The Spaniard tipped that in his favour following a five-set win. “I hope he and I keep playing each other for the next 10 years,” Alcaraz said about Sinner. “He makes me a better player. He makes me wake up in the morning and try to improve.”

“I think that’s exciting for the game, especially when head-to-head is quite close. And, you know, the winner is happy and then the loser tries to find a way to beat him the next time, no? I think that’s exciting. That’s what I will try to do,” said Sinner.

Alcaraz is a man for all surfaces

With the title at Roland Garros, Alcaraz defied the rest of the field and his own body. The Spaniard came into the tournament with right forearm troubles that forced him to skip the Italian Open in Rome and accepted he was afraid to hit forehands with full force. During the final, he was treated by a trainer at changeovers for some pain and cramping in his left leg.

“I know that when I’m playing a fifth set, you have to give everything and you have to give your heart,” Alcaraz said. “I mean, in those moments, it’s where the top players give their best tennis.”

And he did. Alcaraz won 12 of the last 15 games to seal the title and go down in a heap on the red clay.

The 21-year-old would run home from school to watch Nadal accumulate titles in Paris - 14 of them. On Sunday, he edged Rafa as the youngest man to collect majors on three surfaces - clay, grass and hard courts. Nadal was about a-year-and-half older when he did it. For a long time, Alcaraz wanted to add his name to the list of Spanish champions at the French Open, including his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero in 2003.

“I wanted to put my name on that list of the Spanish players who won this tournament,” he said. “Not only Rafa. Ferrero, Moya, Costa, a lot of Spanish players, legends from our sport that won this tournament, I really want to put my name on that list, as well.”

Familiar sight on women’s side: Swiatek lifting trophy

On the women’s side, Iga Swiatek lifted the trophy for a third straight time and fourth time in five years. The 23-year-old has now won five majors and is running away at the top of the rankings.

Over the years, it has become apparent that the way to beat Swiatek is by hitting through her, use power and depth and she can be tamed. Naomi Osaka did it for the most part in the second round. Jelena Ostapenko did so at last year’s US Open.

“I mean, tennis is stressful overall, but I should embrace it a little bit more. I’ll do it differently next time, so I guess that’s positive,” she had said in New York then.

For all of Swiatek’s modest and shy words in press conferences and on-court interviews, she’s ruthless when things are going her way. Ever since the scare against Osaka, Swiatek dropped just 17 games - the same as that against the former World No. 1. Her familiarity and demolition power on clay can very easily be likened to Rafael Nadal.

But what about grass and Wimbledon? Swiatek’s silky smooth movement on clay doesn’t match her errant displays at SW19. She’s lost to Elina Svitolina, Ons Jabeur and Alize Cornet in the last three years - players who she would dominate on other surfaces.

“I feel like every year it’s easier for me to adapt to grass,” said Swiatek this past Saturday in Paris. “If I would lose here earlier, maybe I would be able to play two more weeks on grass and then be a better grass player, but if I would choose, I love playing on clay, so I’m not going to give up that ever.”

Can ‘Queen of Clay’, a title she contests, be more like Nadal and take her dominance to the grass in three weeks?

Surprises aplenty

The women’s field presents many surprises at Grand Slams now - especially by the semi-final stage. Names that you would not have heard of unless you’re an avid fan.

Magda Linette, Beatriz Haddad Maia, Karolina Muchova, Marketa Vondrousova, Dayana Yastremska and Zheng Qinwen are all semi-finalists from the five majors. Joining this list at the French Open were 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva and 28-year-old veteran Jasmine Paolini.

As another major nears, Wimbledon from 1 July, which new name or WTA veteran will spring a surprise and make a deep run?

Can we stop the late finish, please?

Andy Murray and Thanasi Kokkinakis played out a nearly six-hour match until 4:05 AM at last year’s Australian Open. The discussions and frustration with late-night finishes are not new. Enough that ATP and WTA introduced a rule in January that doesn’t allow matches to start after 11 PM. Only that rule doesn’t apply to the major tournaments - such as the French Open.

Novak Djokovic and Lorenzo Musetti finished their five-setter at 3:07 AM - by far the latest finish at the clay court Grand Slam.

These matches may be memorable for the paltry that remain in the stadiums and attendance. Or for the many more watching on TV across the world. For players and the tournament, though, it is a harrowing experience.

It is time for a serious discussion and not just lob the ball into the next Grand Slam’s court as theirs to solve.

Scheduling needs a serious discussion

For a second straight year, the imbalance in night matches among men and women remained a topic of concern. With one match reserved in the main stadium for the night session, it has mostly gone to the men in the last three years.

There were zero women’s matches and 11 men’s matches at night during prime time this year. In the last two editions that number was one each for the women.

Mauresmo said her biggest concern about scheduling women’s matches at night is that they might be too short to be considered worth the price of admission.

As a solution, she said she does not want to schedule two matches at night — one women’s and one men’s — because then play will go on till late. And moving up the start time from its current 8:15 PM spot is not an option because fans wouldn’t get there at, say, 7 PM, “given the culture we have in Paris,” Mauresmo said.

Jabeur criticised the scheduling. The Tunisian, who played her quarter-final against Coco Gauff at 11 AM in front of few fans, said, “As you said, 10 night matches without any women playing. I don’t expect any women to play in the evening, but frankly, playing a quarterfinal at 11 a.m. is really such a chore. We deserve to be here [in the afternoon]. Playing in the afternoon is better. There is going to be more people watching us and the stadiums are crowded. Well, the VIP is, well, you know, as usual.”

“I mean, for me, I’m feeling comfortable playing during the day,” Swiatek said. “It would be nice obviously to play and pick hours. …I think it’s better to ask somebody who is responsible for scheduling, but I’m fine with playing during the day.”

As Jabeur said, we want to see the contract that French Open signed with Amazon Prime!

Is the French Open losing sheen?

There were quite a few empty seats on Court Philippe Chatrier during the semi-finals. Tournament director Amelie Mauresmo, a former player herself, admitted they were ’not satisfied’. But had little reason to give for people staying away.

Asked why she thinks people who have tickets are not using them, Mauresmo said: “Who knows? I’m not in their heads.”

French tennis federation president Gilles Moretton added: “We can’t force people to go to the stands.”

Mauresmo and Moretton said more than 650,000 spectators came to Roland Garros over the three weeks, including the qualifying round.

“Not everything was perfect. We want to improve,” said Moretton.