The French Open ended the way it often has over the past 12 years, but over the previous two years, it had not ended this way: with Rafael Nadal lifting the trophy. Rafa failed to win in 2015 because he wasn’t confident about his game. He didn’t win in 2016 because of an injury. This year, Nadal rebounded to win his first French Open and his first Grand Slam title since 2014. What is worth affirming about the 2017 French Open for ATP stars?
Nadal Will Remain A Factor At Roland Garros As Long As He Plays
The biggest thing to note about Nadal’s French Open title is that it came without losing a single set, or even without a single tiebreaker. This was a steamroller. Nadal established such complete superiority that no one in the field came particularly close to even challenging him, let alone beating him. Nadal looked as comfortable on clay as he ever has been. Freedom from injuries and other bad breaks was all he needed to restore order.
The jury is still out on whether Nadal will do well at Wimbledon, but on hardcourts, he did very well earlier this year. When he gets on clay, he should be able to continue to win big and remind people (again) why he’s the best clay-court player ever. He’ll remain a very tough out as long as he is healthy.
Stan Wawrinka Took A Step Forward
The loss to Nadal in the final will sting, since he had never previously lost a Grand Slam final, but Wawrinka won his first five-set match against Andy Murray on clay. He avenged his loss to Murray in last year’s French Open semifinals. He showed again that playing mediocre tennis for two months doesn’t prevent him from showing up and doing well at the Grand Slam events of the tennis season. Wawrinka’s runner-up finish in Paris might give him the momentum he needs to do well at Wimbledon, a tournament he has never won and has never even made the semifinals in. Perhaps Wawrinka is ready to make even more gains. He should feel very good about this run in Paris.
Novak Djokovic Made Too Many Abrupt Moves
The real story behind Novak Djokovic’s tame quarterfinal loss to Dominic Thiem is that he looked lost on court. Andre Agassi consulted him, but then left to be elsewhere when the quarterfinals came around. Agassi said he is coaching Djokovic for free. That lack of payment is part of a here-today, gone-tomorrow arrangement. Djokovic might have benefited from Agassi sticking around through the whole French Open tournament. This lack of permanence helps illustrate why Djokovic is lost right now. He cut ties with his previous coaches and sought a fresh start – too fresh, as it turns out. Djokovic seems to search for the right solution without identifying root causes of problems. It could get worse before it gets better.
Dominic Thiem Is On The Rise…At Least On Clay
Although Nadal will be the king of clay as long as he’s healthy and functional, Dominic Thiem is a name you should keep an eye on next clay court season. He’s a young player that’s on the rise. The Austrian is just 23 years old but continues to impress on clay. It’s unclear if he’ll ever win a grand slam but the red surface is his best bet. This year, he was 22-5 on clay after going 25-7 last year and 20-6 in 2015. More impressively, he managed to oust Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals. Look for Thiem to be a real factor at the 2018 French Open. If Nadal somehow falters, Thiem is capable of winning it.
Andy Murray Should Feel Good
The loss to Wawrinka in the semifinals feels bad, but Murray was a mess in Rome. He got virtually no match play before the French Open. Making a run to the semifinals shows he can still display his talents even when a lot of outside events aren’t going right. He should be able to make a big run at Wimbledon. This won’t guarantee success, but he should feel he has made big strides relative to a month ago, or even three weeks ago.
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