French Open 2022

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Draw sections

1- Djokovic (possible R4 Schwartzmann or Dimitrov)
2 - Nadal (possible R2 - Wawrinka, possible R3 Fognini)
3 - Zverev
4 - Alcaraz (possible R4 Norrie/Thiem)
5 - Ruud
6 - Tsitsipas (possible R4 Shapovalov)
7 - Rublev
8 - Medvedev

Possible QFs
Djokovic vs Nadal (!)
Zverev vs Alcaraz
Ruud vs Tsitsipas
Rublev v Medvedev

Tough draw for everyone in the top half. Tsitsipas moves into contention a bit more after this draw.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/tennis/french-open-2022-draw-possible-routes-to-final-for-djokovic-nadal-alcaraz-swiatek-and-raducanu-explained/ar-AAXu4Mz

Ruud breaks 3-1

Nadal breaks back 2-3

Nadal holds 3-3

Nadal breaks 4-3. Ruud’s back hand can’t live with Nadal’s consistent barrage against it.

Nadal holds to love 5-3

Nadal breaks again and takes second set 6-3.
Nadal breaking Ruud’s will and his heart

This seems to be going the way most thought it would.

Nadal 3-0 with a break in the third.

The French open is so dull.

Rafael Nadal wins 6-3 6-3 6-0 to win a mind boggling 14th Roland Garros.
Nadal literally destroyed a real good clay court player

14 Roland Garros
22 Majors
112-3 at Roland Garros

Crazy to think in 18 years he left one opportunity on the table in 2016 when he withdrew with a wrist injury.
Simple insane.

Over fairly quickly and yet another French for Rafa. Will this be his last?

I think once Djoko was disposed of, this was always going to be Rafa's for the taking this year.

Just how long is he prepared to go on having to cope with his injury problems? Presumably, he'll have a bit of a rest now and consider his options.

Mens and womens finals both atrocious. Not a French open for the memory bank other than some Cilic magic rolling back the years. Those finals were awful

Nadal dismissed retirement rumours. Looks like he’s not happy with #14 and will go for #15 in 2023.

slashermcguirk wrote:Mens and womens finals both atrocious. Not a French open for the memory bank other than some Cilic magic rolling back the years. Those finals were awful

On the men’s side, that’s what happens when you don’t rig the draw. It was brainless having Nadal, Djokovic, Zverev and Alcaraz on the same half.

Medvedev is a weak link on clay so the bottom half was immediately the weaker section.

I know there was some speculation that Rafa could even announce he was calling it a day after the match.

As you say above, he's scotched that one by saying he will battle on.
He can give himself a good rest now as it seems very unlikely he'll play Wimbledon.

Among those playing tribute is one Tenys Sandgren who has said Rafa's 14 RGs is the greatest single achievement in sport.

I wouldn't go that far, although what Rafa has done at RG is unbelievable.

But the French clay is perfect for him. Usually, although less so this year, the weather is good, he plays in the daylight, his amazing topspin comes to the fore and no one can match him.

His wins this year and in 2020 were the most remarkable for me as he had to battle advancing years, injury and, in the case of 2020, little or no clay-court practice.

But, for me, there are other contenders for greatest sporting achievement.

In his award speech Rafael Nadal did not say "see you next year" but rather said, as sfp notes, "I will battle on" or words to that effect.  It seems clear this is going to be about managing his foot issue (one of his foot bones dying due to insufficient blood supply to it).   Rest might help otherwise it is painkillers.

It is impossible. What he is doing is impossible.

14 roland garros
22 slams
6th season with multiple slam wins
First australian open - roland garros double
92 titles
63 clay titles

Nadal says he had to take multiple cortisones in his foot. He’s unwilling to do that for Wimbledon. Unless his doctor can find something else, he won’t play Wimbledon.

Ruud a solid player but Nadal is simply in a different league. He's an absolute warrior and a legend, though that Zverev injury was a huge stroke of luck as that was a very physical match that could have gone either way and left the winner with little in the tank. I just saw his post match interview and he will be undergoing an injection in his foot that will dull the pain for a good chunk of time. He says if it works then he'll keep going, but if not, he will consider a major surgery that could potentially not allow him to play professional tennis.

naxroy wrote:It is impossible. What he is doing is impossible.

14 roland garros
22 slams
6th season with multiple slam wins
First australian open - roland garros double
92 titles
63 clay titles

Impossible...

Oioi wrote:he will be undergoing an injection in his foot that will dull the pain for a good chunk of time. He says if it works then he'll keep going, but if not, he will consider a major surgery that could potentially not allow him to play professional tennis.

More details:

https://www.skysports.com/tennis/news/32498/12628164/nadal-i-will-play-at-wimbledon-if-my-body-allows

VAMOS!!!!

numero 22!

Bizarre to think he’s won as many French Open’s as Sampras did total slams…!

Soul Requiem wrote:

naxroy wrote:It is impossible. What he is doing is impossible.

14 roland garros
22 slams
6th season with multiple slam wins
First australian open - roland garros double
92 titles
63 clay titles

Impossible...

Who would have thought this was possible…he was being written off in 2009 for his “gruelling” style of play. If not for the congenital foot bone issue he’d had probably played on for many more years…and wouldn’t have had the knee issues due to the orthotic correction effects…and he’d have probably won more titles too. But wow…14 slams at the same event.

When he won the French open for the first time iPhones didn’t even exist…that’s how long he’s been winning there! The mind boggles. But I fear the end is nigh now…he’s been playing on borrowed time for so many years and the younger generation is going to kick in soon…inc the new “RafaV2” from Spain of course!

Congratulations to Nadal on 14/22. Fantastic achievement for the history book!

14 French Opens is extraordinary.
I don't buy into the 'if this, if that' argument. Rafa has no more been hampered by injury than Djokovic or Federer and less so than many players such as Murray and Del Potro. How many less would the big 3 have won if JMDP had remained fit? What if Rafa had been born without a foot issue but with poor hand to eye coordination?
Why can't Rafa's achievements be celebrated for what they are without slipping into fantasy worlds?

JuliusHMarx wrote:14 French Opens is extraordinary.
I don't buy into the 'if this, if that' argument. Rafa has no more been hampered by injury than Djokovic or Federer and less so than many players such as Murray and Del Potro. How many less would the big 3 have won if JMDP had remained fit? What if Rafa had been born without a foot issue but with poor hand to eye coordination?
Why can't Rafa's achievements be celebrated for what they are without slipping into fantasy worlds?

totally agree

Nadal´s career is what it is, had it been different, I am not sure it could have been better.

He should talk less about his problems, because a real problem is what Delpo or Murray had.

I am not saying he doesnt have such problems, I am just saying you cannot say your foot is broken and then win slams... because that simply is not true.

Dont get me wrong I totally love Rafa, but he should change that.

lydian wrote:Bizarre to think he’s won as many French Open’s as Sampras did total slams…!

Good stat. And at the time 14 slams was a kind of mythical number

If you won 14 slams these days you would considered a middling journeyman player!

Just kidding, don't take that literally

Interesting how many times Rafa was written off, I seem to recall second half of 2009 and again I think around 2012 people were writing him off , or at least Federer fans were trying to , and then there was a couple of years around 2015-2016 when he didn't reach the business end of slams and would lose to players at slams that normally wouldn't have a chance, Fognini I seem to recall

I think when Rafa had 5 slams you wouldn't have forecasted more than 10, when he has 10 you perhaps wouldn't have forecast much above 15 etc.

Perhaps this should be the last year he plays Wimbledon?

If he's still fit and able to play next year, might be time to start a reduced schedule

The media misinterpreting his comments and make it sound like he is going to retire

I suspect he will play for a few more years if he can do so without risk to his body, health, pain or substantial hardship

race rankings:
https://live-tennis.eu/en/atp-race

current year end no 1s

Djokovic 7, Sampras 6, Connors 5, Federer 5, Nadal 5

Only goes back to 60s/70s

Another interesting stat is that I believe he is 14-0 in French Open finals, I don't think anyone has even taken him to a 5th set either in a final, and most of the 4-setters were fairly in control, sometimes 6-1 in the 4th

Henman Bill wrote:Another interesting stat is that I believe he is 14-0 in French Open finals, I don't think anyone has even taken him to a 5th set either in a final, and most of the 4-setters were fairly in control, sometimes 6-1 in the 4th

7 finals in straight sets, 7 finals in 4 sets

Proably the most tight finals were 2011, 2012 and 2014

2011 was pretty close but the 4th set was 6-1
2012 was the closest I would say, and it felt like that too