10 things to look for at the 2020 French Open

 

Usually I get a bit of a break between these previews and recaps, but due to COVID-19, the 2020 French Open is happening right after the US Open, a departure from its usual May/June slot in the tennis calendar. But whether it's happening in the spring or in the fall, there will always be my list of 10 things to look for in the French Open. Without further ado, let's get into it. 

Note: Click here for the draws. Action starts Sunday. 

#1. Will the early exit from the US Open actually help Novak Djokovic? Novak Djokovic's bizarre 4th round exit at the US Open was no doubt frustrating for him as it robbed him of his 18th grand slam title. At the same time, it gave Djokovic more time to rest and recuperate before the French Open. Djokovic comes into this year's French Open having won the ATP 1000 Masters event in Rome, so he's got some momentum now. This was his 5th title in Rome and his record 36th Masters title. Winning the US Open and then running it back at the French Open wouldn't have been easy, so perhaps getting some extra time off will help him as he heads into this event. Not that he's glad he exited New York the way that he did. 

#2. Will Simona Halep benefit from skipping the US Open? Simona Halep made the decision to not play in the US Open and now comes into the French Open as the top seed in the event, making her the de facto favorite. Halep won the French Open back in 2018, so she knows what it takes to win this event. If she does indeed go on to win, there will be many who'll say it was smart for her to skip the US Open and focus her energies on the French. Especially since her best run at the US Open was a run to the semis in 2015. 

#3. Will Rafael Nadal benefit from skipping the US Open? Rafael Nadal is the King of Clay and no doubt made a strategic decision to skip the US Open this year so as to get ready for the French Open and stay more rested. Winning the US Open and then French Open would not be easy for anyone, even Nadal, who won both events last year. I think he probably made the right call since the French Open is his bread and butter event. If Nadal does win the French Open as he is expected to do, he'll tie Roger Federer with most grand slam titles ever (20).

#4. Can Victoria Azarenka make another deep run at a grand slam? After her run to the US Open final, it'll be interesting to see if Victoria Azarenka can back that up with a deep run in Paris. The furthest she's gone at the French Open is the semifinals back in 2013, so I think for her, if she could duplicate that success in 2020, she'd be very happy. One thing that will help her a bit is she comes into the French Open seeded 10th whereas at the US Open, she was unseeded. My prediction is she'll have a good tournament, but bow out either in the 4th round or quarterfinals. I hope I'm wrong. It would be awesome if she reached the semifinals or even went so far as to win the whole thing. 

#5. Will Dominic Thiem benefit from his US Open title? Dominic Thiem comes in as the #3 seed and as the 2020 US Open champion, so he does have some momentum on his side for sure. At the same time, he's on Rafael Nadal's half of the draw, making a run to the final a tough hill to climb. It will be interesting to see how Thiem plays early on and if he can build on his grand slam title in New York to knock off Nadal in the semis and win his second career grand slam. 

#6. Will Serena Williams make a deep run? Serena Williams hasn't won the French Open since 2015 and is really more of a hard court/grass player than a clay player. She comes in as the #6 seed and certainly is expected to go deep on those grounds alone. However, an early exit could happen if she's not careful. The first couple of rounds will be critical as she'll look to establish her footing and get into a good groove on the dirt. 

#7. Will Alexander Zverev build on his strong US Open performance? Alexander Zverev made a real breakthrough by reaching the final of the US Open, showing that he truly deserves the top ten ranking that he has. Now that he's made a grand slam final, there will be some pressure for him to reach the semis...aside from the fact that Nadal stands in his way as a possible quarterfinals opponent. If Zverev can at least reach the quarterfinals and give Nadal a good fight, he should feel good about his tournament and eye an even deeper run at the Australian Open come January. 

#8. Can Coco Gauff make any noise? After reaching the 4th round at Wimbledon and the 3rd round of the US Open in 2019, a lot of people expected even bigger things for Coco Gauff in 2020. Gauff appeared to pick things up right where she left off in 2020 with a run to the 4th round at the Australian Open, but at the US Open last month, she went out in the 1st round. Personally, I think it would be huge if Gauff could at least win a pair of matches and reach the 3rd round at the French Open, an event that she's never won a 1st round match in. If it's another 1st round exit for Gauff, there will be some chatter about whether or not she's worthy of the hype. 

#9. Look for Rafael Nadal to win the men's title: At the end of the day, is there anyone else worth picking to win it on the men's side? Rafael Nadal has won 12 of his 19 grand slam titles at the French Open and is the undisputed greatest player to ever play on clay. It's not even close. Until he retires, he'll always be my pick to win it all at Roland Garros. 

#10. Look for Garbiñe Muguruza to win the women's title: This is coming a bit out of left field, but Garbiñe Muguruza comes in as the 11th seed in the women's draw and has won the French Open before in 2016. On top of that, she reached the Australian Open final earlier this year, so she's still more than capable of being a threat to win grand slams. It's kind of an odd pick I know, but I got a feeling Muguruza is going to leave Paris with her second French Open title and her third grand slam title (2017 Wimbledon is her second). 

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10 things to take away from the 2020 US Open

 

                                              (Credit: Reuters/USA Today Sports) 

The 2020 US Open resulted in Naomi Osaka winning her third grand slam title and Dominic Thiem winning his first. Osaka defeated Victoria Azarenka 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the women's singles final while Thiem defeated Alexander Zverev 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 in the men's singles final. Below is my list of 10 things to take away from the two weeks that were in New York. 

#1. Dominic Thiem is the real deal: After losing his first three grand slam finals, Dominic Thiem finally broke through at the 2020 US Open. Thiem played an incredibly gritty match against Zverev and showed that he is worthy of winning a grand slam title. What made this all the more impressive is the fact that Thiem came back from two sets down and did it on a surface that hasn't always been his best. Originally better on clay, Thiem is now arguably even better on the hard courts. A true testament to his work ethic and dedication. As for how many more grand slams Thiem will win, I think he'll get at least a couple more. He's not going away any time soon. 

#2. Naomi Osaka is the best women's tennis player in the world: Serena Williams is the GOAT, but she is no longer the best women's tennis player in the world. That title belongs to Naomi Osaka, who now has three grand slam titles under her belt. I think there were some who wondered if Osaka's first US Open title was a fluke, but now, I think it's clear that she is no fluke and is a force to be reckoned with. The only area that Osaka needs to improve in is winning away from the hard courts. She's not reached the 4th Round at the French Open or Wimbledon. Once she figures out how to win on the clay and grass, there'll be no stopping her. 

Note: Osaka will be skipping the 2020 French Open due to a hamstring injury. 

#3. Alexander Zverev has arrived: Despite his lofty, top five ranking, Alexander Zverev had not been to a grand slam final until this year's US Open and he had just one semifinal under his belt (2020 Australian Open). A lot of people including myself wanted to see him back up his ranking and make deeper runs in majors and he certainly did that this time by reaching the final and getting within one set of winning his first grand slam. It's disappointing that he didn't finish the job, but on the flip side, I think he made a lot of progress in reaching the final and getting as close as he did. Zverev has finally arrived for real and he's only going to get better. 

#4. Victoria Azarenka is back: Victoria Azarenka reached her first major final since the 2013 US Open. It's been a while! She's been dealing with a lot of off court issues like custody battles for her son and a romantic relationship gone sour. With that all finally resolved and somewhat in the rear view mirror, Azarenka is back focusing on what she loves, which is playing elite level tennis. This was the first time in years that she looked like the old Vika and it was really exciting to see. If she keeps this up, she could be in for a renaissance of sorts and a couple more grand slam titles. 

#5. Novak Djokovic blew a HUGE opportunity: The big story of the first week of the US Open was the way that Novak Djokovic exited the tournament, having to default his fourth round match against Pablo Carreño Busta due to accidentally hitting a line official in the throat with a tennis ball that he whacked in frustration. It was an accident, but still, according to the rules he had to default the match. With Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer both sitting this one out, Djokovic came in as the heavy favorite and probably would have won the event had he not defaulted. To not win this tournament really hurts Djokovic. Especially when you consider that a win would have given Djokovic 18 grand slam titles, one shy of Nadal (19) and two shy of Federer (20). 

#6. Serena Williams also blew it: Time is running out for Serena Williams (23) to tie Margaret Court's record (24) for most grand slam titles ever. I still think Williams will get it done, but to not win this event stings. She lost in three sets to Azarenka in the semifinals and had an opportunity to show she's still the best in the world. Instead, she looked like she was kinda running out of steam a bit. With each passing year, it's going to get harder for Serena to tie that record and pass Court, so this is definitely a tournament she would like to have back. 

#7. Men's tennis will be fine after the big three retire: Don't get me wrong. I don't want to see Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer retire any time soon. They're legends of the sport and the longer they play, the better. That said, I think the 2020 US Open showed that when those guys do decide to hang it up, the men's game will still be exciting. Thiem and Zverev played a fabulous final and showed that they too can put on a show. 

#8. Karolina Pliskova is another player who "blew it": You should be sensing a theme from the 2020 US Open. Key players "blowing it." Another one who "blew it" is Karolina Pliskova, who came in as the #1 seed. Rather than making a deep run and taking advantage of her top seed, Pliskova lost in the second round to Caroline Garcia. Pliskova has never won a grand slam and hasn't reached a grand slam final since her lone grand slam finals appearance at the 2016 US Open. When you consider the fact that some key names like Simona Halep sat this one out, Pliskova truly had a golden opportunity to win her first grand slam and she didn't even come close to getting it done. Major disappointment for her. 

#9. Daniil Medvedev had a bit of a setback: After the way he battled against Rafael Nadal in last year's final, I think everyone expected Daniil Medvedev to win this tournament once Djokovic defaulted. Instead, he bowed out in straight sets to the eventual champion Thiem in the semis. He still had a solid tournament, but not going as deep as he did last year and not taking advantage of Djokovic's folly is a bit of a disappointment and setback for him. He'll bounce back, though. 

#10. Sofia Kenin needs to regroup: After winning the 2020 Australian Open and coming in as the #2 seed, I think there were a lot of people who thought Sofia Kenin, an American, could back up her title in Australia with a US Open title. Kinda like what Naomi Osaka did when she won the Austrian Open right after she won her first US Open. Instead of picking up her second grand slam title, Kenin lost in the 4th Round to #16 Elise Mertens in straight sets. Kenin needs to regroup a bit after this disappointing US Open and see if she can recapture the magic she had in Australia. 

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