We are nearing the halfway point of the 2021 Grand Slam calendar, as Roland-Garros marks the second of four total slams that are set to take place this year. 2021 saw Novak Djokovic win his eighteenth Grand Slam in Australia and he now is set to face his rival, Rafael Nadal, in the semi-finals, should they both win their matches leading up to the conclusion of the tournament. Nadal, the greatest clay court player ever, is seeking a record breaking twenty-first Grand Slam victory, and his fourteenth French Open title that would extend his current record of 13, the most at any one Grand Slam by any player. They met in Rome just weeks ago, with Nadal winning his tenth title there plus his record-tying thirty-sixth Masters 1000 title, matching Djokovic.
This tournament also has notable storylines for the women’s bracket, which includes Iga Swiatek, the 2020 winner, and Serena Williams, who is battling back after a few years of frustrating tennis. Williams, one of the greatest players ever, has had trouble defeating the new up and coming class of players, but one notable name has withdrawn, and it’s arguably her biggest rival.
Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the French Open after a confusing series of events following her announcement that she would not be talking to the press at Roland-Garros, citing mental health concerns. This created a massive stir in the tennis community, with polarizing opinions from both press and players. After a fairly scathing response from the tournament itself, Naomi withdrew, and the storm quickly calmed, but many have still called into question the decision to restrict media availability while others have claimed that mental health is severely downplayed and is a major concern for professional athletes.
To top everything off, this tournament marks the return of Roger Federer to Grand Slam tennis. After being sidelined for over a year with injury-related rehab, Federer can also aim for his twenty-first Slam, as Nadal and himself both have 20 each. Considered the greatest grass court player ever, his focus is Wimbledon, but he should provide some big matches for fans and keep the Djokovic, Federer, Nadal storyline going on clay.
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