Roger Federer congratulates Rafa Nadal tying him for most Grand Slams with 13th Roland Garros win

I have always had the utmost respect for my friend Rafa as a person and as a champion. As my greatest rival over many years, I believe we have pushed each other to become better players. Therefore, it is a true honor for me to congratulate him on his 20th Grand Slam victory. It is especially amazing that he has now won Roland Garros an incredible 13 times, which is one of the greatest achievements in sport. I also congratulate his team, because nobody can do this alone. I hope 20 is just another step on the continuing journey for both of us. Well done, Rafa. You deserve it.

from Roger Federer's Facebook

From one G.A.O.T. to another. ♥ Congrats Rafa on your 20th Grand Slam. 100 wins #13 titles at Roland Garros. Insane. 

Iga Swiatek first Polish player to become a Grand Slam Champion at Roland Garros!

PARIS, France - Polish teenager Iga Swiatek made history in capturing her first Grand Slam title, capping off a pitch-perfect fortnight with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over reigning Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin.

"I'm just proud of myself," she said to open her post-match press conference. "I've done a great job past two weeks. I wasn't expecting to win this trophy. It's obviously amazing for me. It's a life-changing experience."

The 19-year-old, who lost no more than five games in each of her seven matches, became the first from her country to win a Grand Slam singles title in emphatic style, winning the final six games and dismissing the No.4 seed after one hour and 24 minutes on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Both women were playing their first final on the terre battue, though Kenin began 2020 with a maiden major title in Melbourne. Thrice pushed to a final set in the fortnight, the 21-year-old served out a straight-set semifinal win over two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova to reach the championship match.

"She obviously played a really good match," Kenin said. "She's really hot right now, playing some really great tennis. I'm not going to use this as an excuse, but my leg obviously was not the best. It's obviously disappointing."

Swiatek, by contrast, roared into her first Grand Slam final with the loss of just 23 games, the fewest since Mary Pierce finished runner-up in Paris in 1994. Facing down surprise quarter and semifinalists Martina Trevisan and Nadia Podoroska, the Polish teenager scored her most impressive wins in the first week, stunning 2019 runner-up Marketa Vondrousova in the first round and avenging last year's French Open defeat to top seed and 2018 champion Simona Halep in the fourth.

"Everybody is stressed when they're playing Grand Slam finals. I just knew that Sofia may also be stressed, that she's not a machine," Swiatek said. "I was aware that we can both struggle, and we're probably not going to play our best tennis because it's hard with so much pressure.

"But I just did everything I've done in the previous rounds. I focused on technique and tactics. I tried to get rid of expectations, just play one ball after another. I didn't really care if I'm going to lose or win. I think the main key was just keeping my expectations low."

They played just once before at this very tournament - albeit on the junior level - with Swiatek knocking out the American en route to the quarterfinals of the 2016 girl's singles tournament, and was equally impressive in the first three games of Saturday's final, winning 12 of the first 15 points.

Struggling with the Chatrier shadows and Swiatek's relentless weight of shot, Kenin nonetheless got on the board and soon began imposing her own depth as she evened the set at three games apiece.

Swiatek, who reached the doubles semifinals with Nicole Melichar, battled through a pair of long games to break Kenin after nearly 10 minutes - outrallying the American on her third break point opportunity - to find herself serving for the first set.

From set point down, Kenin reversed the deficit to earn break point and blasted a backhand return winner - one that sent Swiatek's racquet flying from her hand - to get back on serve.

Strong returning from Swiatek, the first Polish woman playing a Grand Slam final since Agnieszka Radwanska at the 2012 Wimbledon Championships, followed and the Pole was ahead two more set points, making no mistake on her second opportunity as she played remarkable defense to seal a 50-minute first set.

"I just feel like I kind of made history. But I still think that Radwanska, she achieved a lot because she played on the top level of WTA for, I don't know, 12 years. I don't even know the number," she said of her illustrious countrywoman.

"I know there's going to be a lot of people who is going to compare us. But I think I have to be really consistent for the next couple years to everybody to name me like the best player in Poland because still I have a lot to do. Still I think that's kind of her place."

Exchanging breaks to open the second, Swiatek, who was cheered on from afar by good friend and US Open champion Naomi Osaka, kept pressing even as Kenin left the court for a medical timeout, winning a fifth straight game behind a barrage of winners.


"It was so crazy for me, winning against Simona that I already thought about the tournament as my lifetime achievement. Really, I had no expectations.

"I knew it's going to be tough in the final. I didn't want to stress a lot about it, so I just told myself that I don't care and I tried to believe in that."

Championship point arrived after a service winner and Swiatek completed a nerveless performance with one last forehand winner.

"I think at the end I really just enjoyed the moment. It's not that I don't care if I'm going to win or lose, I'm just not thinking about it all the time. I'm focusing on the things I do right now because winning is just an effect of my work that I'm doing every minute."

Swiatek ended the match with an astounding 25 winners, making just 17 unforced errors while converting six of nine break point opportunities. Winning over 60% of all points played on return, she allowed Kenin just 10 points in the second set.

"It's inspiring," she said of this new wave of young Grand Slam champions that includes Kenin, Osaka, and Bianca Andreescu. "I know that there are no limits. Even though you're really young and you're an underdog, you can do a lot in a sport like tennis.

"Well, on one hand it's pretty inspiring. Sometimes I caught myself visualizing that I'm also winning a Grand Slam. But on the other hand it was also really far away. Right now when I'm here and I'm a Grand Slam champion, it's crazy.

"You believe in things, but in the back of your head you know that there's going to be a huge amount of work that you have to do to win that. Then after two weeks of great playing, you already have it. It's just - I don't know - overwhelming.

"I think I'm going to need some more time to comment on that because I need some perspective, some distance."

wtatennis.com

 I am still in shock and awe over the whole thing to be honest. It is one thing to win your first Grand Slam so young, but to do it so convincingly without losing a set is something else. 

After years of waiting, Poland finally has a Grand Slam Champion!. 

Congratulations Iga on your outstanding mental toughness, poise and court craft. You are the pride of Poland.  

It was an absolute pleasure to watch you for 2 weeks. I can't wait to see, what you'll show us in 2021. 

Bring on the Aussie Open. 

Iga Swiatek reaches Roland Garros final, first Polish player in the Open Era!

PARIS, France – Iga Swiatek will be the first Polish woman to play in the final of Roland Garros during the Open Eta after dismantling qualifier Nadia Podoroska, 6-2, 6-1 in the semifinals.

The 19-year-old WTA World No.53, who is also into the doubles semifinals along with Nicole Melichar, had lost just 20 games in her five matches prior to her final-four clash and maintained her smooth sailing in Paris by winning in 70 minutes.

While Podoroska, who was bidding to become the first qualifier ever to make it into the final of a major, as well as just the second Argentine lady, won the first couple of points of the match, her early confidence was soon evaporated by the power and precision of her rival.

In total, Swiatek broke on five occasions, while she hit 23 winners in the type of commanding performance that has become her custom over the past fortnight.

“I’m kind of surprised! I never thought before the tournament I would play so well. But I always knew that if I was going to make a final of a Grand Slam, it would be the French Open,” she admitted.

“This is what I planned to move. I wanted to play this match as if it was a first round. I didn’t want to think about being in the semifinal because it would stress me. I just kept being aggressive, like in the previous matches. I’m feeling lucky that I’m feeling good and nothing hurts.”

The early signs were that it would be a more competitive match. Podoroska played the opening two points with authority and forced deuce as Swiatek served in the opening game.

The early signs were that it would be a more competitive match. Podoroska played the opening two points with authority and forced deuce as Swiatek served in the opening game.

Swiatek has specialized in success on her opponents’ serves for the duration of her time in Paris, and that was maintained at the outset of this encounter. Having broken Martina Trevisan in six of eight occasions in the quarters, she started the semi by breaking to 15.

Some impressive hustling from Podoroska allowed her to stay in touch with two holds, but the 23-year-old missed her sole break point of the frame by going wide and would never get a serious look at the Swiatek serve again.

Indeed, Swiatek increased her domination from that point, holding to love then sealing the set in 36 minutes at the third opportunity as her opponent fired into the net.

The momentum continued into the second as Swiatek showed her game is about more than hard hitting as she athletically chased down a drop en route to the opening game.

A matter of minutes later, the screw was turned as the teenager boasted a 4-0 advantage, drilling a forehand to break in the first instance then executing a superb lob on the way to a second.

Podoroska did succeed in breathing some life into the match with a determined break to stop the run of six games against her only to lose her own serve for a fourth successive time.

Swiatek confidently served out the match and only Sofia Kenin or Petra Kvitova will stand in the way of her becoming Poland’s first major winner in Saturday’s final.

“Petra has been a superstar has been a superstar for many years and Sofia has been on fire this year. But I don’t want to think about it right now, I’m just happy I’m in the final,” she said.

wtatennis.com

I have been keeping an eye on this young lady since last year,  and continue to be really impressed with the way she's playing. 

She had some great results on the hard courts last year. But clay is clearly the surface she shines on.

I was beyond impressed with the way she beat Simona Halep in straight sets only losing 3 games. After such a big win like that most players often have a let down and lose in the very next match. 

But not Iga Swiatek she has kept this momentum up and has not lost a set, or more then 4 games in each to reach the final

That is outstanding for someone so young. 

I'm astonished with her poise, and her on court craft as well as her power which has surprised many at this tournament. 

What a dazzling display of dominance to reach your first ever Grand Slam final. 

The first Polish woman to reach a Roland Garros final in the open era (the only other one being in 1939). 

A historic moment for Poland in the sport.

She's playing like someone who belongs on the big stage. And that's fantastic to see. 

There's a lot of darkness going on around the world this year with the pandemic, but the sport of tennis has been the one bright spot I will happily cling to and cherish. 

Being a Polish woman myself, it's not often I get to feel Polish pride when it comes to my favourite sport, and after Agnieszka Radwanska retired I wasn't sue I would ever again get the chance to do so.  

I'm so happy to be wrong.

Well done Iga!. 

I believe you can take it all the way. Poland is cheering for you. ♥♥

Roland Garros releases details on Covid safety measures for this year's tournament

Now that the health and safety protocol for the 2020 Roland-Garros tournament has been unveiled, Jean-François Vilotte, Director General of the FFT, gives us an outline of what to expect.

The 2020 edition of the Roland-Garros tournament, which begins on 21 September, will certainly be unusual. Firstly, due to the time of year: the Parisian Grand Slam is being played in the autumn, for the first time in the tournament’s history.

Secondly, due to the transformation of Philippe-Chatrier court, which now boasts a retractable roof. And lastly, due to the health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which requires an extremely strict health and safety protocol to be rolled out for everyone involved in the event.

For rolandgarros.com, Jean-François Vilotte, Director General of the French Tennis Federation, explains the reasoning behind the measures and gives specific details about how they will be implemented.

Can you give us an outline of the health and safety protocol to be implemented at Roland-Garros?

The aim of this health and safety protocol is to act responsibly by protecting everyone who, for whatever reason, is present inside the stadium during the 2020 edition of the tournament, while organising this outstanding international tennis event. The primary protective measure is to enable everyone to respect social distancing guidelines and hygiene precautions: first of all, the health and safety protocol states that everyone must wear a face covering, that the flow of people will be managed so that social distancing guidelines can be respected and, for the same reason, it ensures that enough space will be left between spectators when seated. Similarly, a whole series of passive protective measures will be rolled out inside the stadium, such as hand sanitiser dispensers. But, in addition to these measures, we have devised a way of physically partitioning the stadium so that visitors can avoid close interaction with other people.


Was partitioning the stadium the best solution for welcoming visitors in the best possible conditions this year?

The partitions put in place will be restrictive, but they are there for obvious reasons so the spectators will understand. The way Roland-Garros Stadium is set out and managed will, of course, be quite different to previous editions. But we are lucky to have a 12-hectare stadium that spans 1 kilometre from east to west, and various competition sites: Simonne-Mathieu court to the east, then Philippe-Chatrier court, Suzanne-Lenglen court and, to the west, the outside courts. This unique layout means that Roland-Garros stadium is not like any other traditional sporting facility. This distinctive feature will allow us to organise the tournament in the best possible way, to ensure that the competition runs smoothly – which is non-negotiable – while ensuring the safety of the various populations.

These populations include the people who organise the tournament in every sense. What provisions have been made for them?

In terms of the people who are regularly present inside the stadium, in particular the people who are involved in organising the different aspects of the tournament, we have set up a testing policy that will determine whether or not their accreditation will be issued. And for accredited persons present at the stadium over a longer period, these tests will be repeated at various intervals throughout the tournament’s duration.

We imagine that the protocol will also be extremely strict for the players and their entourage…

Yes of course. We will pay particular attention to the athletes and their entourage who, by definition, will be in greater proximity to one another. So, again, following the example we have seen elsewhere and which we ourselves have put in place when organising other, less prestigious tournaments [Ed.: such as the Challenge Elite FFT], we will implement strict hygiene conditions for the athletes and their entourage in order to monitor and detect any traces of COVID-19 contamination. This health and safety protocol is extremely strict and very responsible. We would never have considered holding the tournament if we were not convinced, along with the public authorities, that this health and safety protocol fulfils all of the current health and hygiene guidelines.

The decision to hold Roland-Garros in this unprecedented context was not taken lightly, we see…

The FFT has a responsibility to protect the health of anyone involved in the tournament: it has a responsibility to international tennis to organise this major tournament and it also has a responsibility to society. What we want people to see is that it is possible to enjoy sport, socialise and interact with other people while respecting strict health and hygiene guidelines. We want our tournament to be truly remarkable and to set an example, from all angles. By setting an example with our tournament, we hope to prove that we can get the economy back on track, though it goes without saying that certain conditions and certain restrictions must be respected.


What do you mean by this?

As the organisers of this sporting event – which is, along with the Tour de France, the most important regular international sporting event to be held in France – we have a responsibility in terms of employment, economic activity, the reputation of the City of Paris and the Greater Paris region, and, more generally, the events-based economy. From this point of view, the 2020 tournament is not just a sporting event, it is also proof that, even in the current climate, we have the human resources and the expertise, in the field of sporting events, to organise an event of this scale while doing everything we can to ensure the health and safety of all people involved.

Discover here all the details of the health and safety protocol.

rolandgarros.com

Sorry, but I'm still not convinced. At least with the U.S. Open there were no people. 

Which seems logical and easier to control, having all these people even in these different sections seems kind of reckless. 

But that's partially my own anxiety talking.

I wish them all the luck in the world, but I wonder how many of the top players will actually show up. Besides Djoker who of course will because he was denied in the U.S. 

Other than him and Stan, I don't know how many top ten guys will be there. Biggest question of course will be whether Nadal will be there to defend his title. 

And I'm honestly curious how many of the women will show up as well. 

French Open Tennis confirms play for the Grand Slam will start in late September

Following discussions with the international tennis authorities – the ATP, WTA and ITF – the French Tennis Federation is delighted to announce that this year’s Roland-Garros tournament will be played over three weeks, from 21st September to 11th October 2020, providing the conditions relating to the COVID-19 health crisis allow it to go ahead. The Parisian Grand Slam has been granted an extra week of competition, which means the qualifying tournament can be played from 21st September.


After the decision to postpone the Roland-Garros tournament to 20th September - 4th October and the ensuing discussions with the international tennis authorities, the new international schedule drawn up by the ATP, WTA and ITF has granted the Roland-Garros tournament an extra week of competition. This way, the qualifying rounds will be played from Monday 21st to Friday 25th September and will be followed by the main draw from Sunday 27th September to 11th October.

In a bid to act responsibly, the FFT is now working with the French government to prepare for the tournament and set out suitable measures that will ensure the health and safety of all people present. All options will be considered and are susceptible to change.

“We are delighted that our discussions with the various international tennis authorities have allowed us to extend the 2020 edition of the Roland-Garros tournament to three weeks. In the current, difficult climate, we are well aware that it is a privilege to be able to hold Roland-Garros in its usual format. Especially since the qualifying tournament will help to financially support a category of professional players who have been severely affected by this unprecedented crisis. The responsible decision we made on 17th March to postpone the Roland-Garros tournament – the climax of the clay season – until the autumn means that the 2020 clay season can be saved, providing the current situation continues to improve. The Roland-Garros tournament is thus fulfilling its historic role as the clay-court world championships. The tournament in autumn 2020 will be a new chapter in Roland-Garros’ ongoing history,” explained Bernard Giudicelli, President of the FFT.

rolandgarros.com

The U.S. Open and Roland Garros are so close together that I have a feeling a lot of players will choose one or the other, but not both because even for the most elite of athletes having to play 4 weeks in a row would be exhausting. Assuming some of them show up at all.

Roland Garros postponed until September due to Corona Virus

The current confinement measures have made it impossible for us to continue with the dates originally planned.

The whole world is affected by the public health crisis connected with COVID-19. In order to ensure the health and safety of everyone involved in organising the tournament, the French Tennis Federation has made the decision to hold the 2020 edition of Roland-Garros from 20th September to 4th October 2020.

Though nobody is able to predict what the situation will be on 18th May, the current confinement measures have made it impossible for us to continue with our preparations and, as a result, we are unable to hold the tournament on the dates originally planned. 

 
In order to act responsibly and protect the health of its employees, service providers and suppliers during the organisation period, the FFT has chosen the only option that will allow them to maintain the 2020 edition of the tournament while joining the fight against COVID-19.

At this important period in its history, and since the progress of the stadium modernisation means the tournament can be held at this time, the FFT was keen to maintain the 2020 tournament. Therefore, this year’s Roland-Garros will be held from 20th September to 4th October. 

 
This decision was made in the interest of both the community of professional tennis players, whose 2020 season has already been compromised, and of the many fans of tennis and Roland-Garros.

“We have made a difficult yet brave decision in this UNPRECEDENTED situation, which has evolved greatly since last weekend. We are acting responsibly, and must work together in the fight to ensure everybody’s health and safety,” explained Bernard Giudicelli, President of the FFT.
Any tickets already purchased will either be refunded or exchanged to take into account the new dates of Roland-Garros 2020. We will give details about how to do this in a subsequent press release.

rolandgarros.com

The cancellation was expected, the reschudule however was not. Many players are already pointing out they were not consulted on the time frame of the event. 

As usual the governing bodies of both tours are not communicating with their players just doing what they think is best. 

I'm not sure how feasible this will be given it's what 1/2 weeks after the U.S. Open also the same week as the Laver Cup, not to mention many other overlapping events on the calendar. 

Safe to say you can still more than likely count Roger Federer out of it. At this point it might have been better if they postponed it till next year. 

2020 is an endless nightmare at the moment. Best to stay safe and healthy.

Roger Federer will play French Open again in 2020

Roger Federer has confirmed that he will return to Paris for Roland-Garros 2020.

Roger Federer, the 2009 champion, returned to the terre battue this summer following two years away from Roland-Garros, reaching the semi-finals with a captivating campaign.

"I will play the French Open and I probably won't play much before that," the Swiss told CNN regarding his summer schedule next season.

"Because I will need some time away from it. I will need some time with the family, we need vacation, we need a break.

"Especially if I'm playing the Olympics (Tokyo) and all that. So I'll probably play the French, Halle, Wimbledon, the Olympics, maybe Cincinnati and then the US Open.


The 38-year-old could arrive in the French capital level in the all-time list of Grand Slam champions with perennial rival Rafael Nadal.

The Spaniard currently holds the Roland-Garros and US Open titles, moving onto 19 majors in New York back in September, just one behind Federer's haul.

Building on the Australian Open's conclusion, Roland-Garros is set to provide the arena for another monumental fortnight in the record books.

rolandgarros.com