5 things we learned from the French Open
Rafael Nadal and Iga Swiatek were crowned champions.
The rescheduled French Open concluded on Sunday with Rafael Nadal once again crowned the King of Clay.
A new star emerged among the women with teenager Iga Swiatek defeating Sofia Kenin in the final.
Here, the PA news agency looks at five things we learned from Roland Garros.
Death, taxes, and Rafael Nadal
The French Open is an annual tennis tournament, played on clay, in Paris. It features 128 men, and 128 women, and lasts two weeks. And at the end of it, Rafael Nadal wins. A lot has changed in 2020, but some things stay the same. This was Nadal’s 13th title at Roland Garros. The Spaniard has played 102 matches at the tournament, and won 100 of them. Not even Novak Djokovic, the world number one and unbeaten this year (US Open default aside) could prevent the inevitable.
Tight at the top
Poland Garros
While the men’s game may be predictable, the women’s is anything but. Iga Swiatek began the tournament ranked 54 in the world and relatively unknown outside her native Warsaw. A fortnight later the 19-year-old had swept through the draw without dropping a set to become Poland’s first grand slam winner. In the last 14 women’s slams there have been nine first-time champions. Swiatek’s challenge now is to emulate Simona Halep and Naomi Osaka, rather than Jelena Ostapenko and Sloane Stephens.
Tough ride for Brits
