Rafael Nadal looks to build on a promising start to his quest to match Roger Federer's 20 Grand Slam titles at the French Open on Wednesday while Serena Williams faces a familiar foe in round two of her latest push to equal Margaret Court's all-time mark.

Top seed and women's favourite Simona Halep puts her 15-match winning streak on the line as she targets another run at a second Roland Garros crown in three years.

Nadal needs one more major to pull level with long-time rival Federer and owns an astonishing 94-2 record in Paris going back to his triumph on debut in 2005.

The Spaniard showed little trouble in handling the heavier conditions in his opening win over Egor Gerasimov at a tournament postponed four months by the coronavirus pandemic.

However, the 34-year-old is wary of an untimely slip-up having made serene progress on his return to action in Rome before running aground in the quarter-finals.&nbsp;

"Six months without playing a single tennis match is not easy," said 12-time French Open winner Nadal, who touched down in Paris without a clay title to his name for the first time.

"I said in Rome when I played the first two matches well, I said, 'Okay, don't believe things are going to be like this.'&nbsp;

"I know how difficult are the comebacks. I had to stop playing tennis for more than two months, so situation is difficult. It's normal, some up and downs."

A first-time opponent again awaits Nadal in 236th-ranked American Mackenzie McDonald, whose lone tour win this season came against Yusutaka Uchiyama at Delray Beach in February.

In the women's draw, Williams heads into another encounter with Tsvetana Pironkova after the pair squared off in the last eight of the US Open earlier this month.

&nbsp;

<h2>- Serena braces for 'long match' -</h2>

&nbsp;

Williams came from a set down in New York to beat fellow mother Pironkova, in the Bulgarian's first tournament appearance since the 2017 Wimbledon championships.

"She's playing well, but I am too," said Williams, imploring herself to play with more confidence after a slow start against Kristie Ahn in round one.

"I'm ready to play her. She'll be ready to play me. It will be a long match, she will get a lot of balls back, but so will I. I'll be ready."

Williams, seeded sixth, is still chasing an elusive 24th Slam title, but clay is her least successful surface.

She has not gone beyond the last 16 in Paris since her defeat to Garbine Muguruza in the 2016 final. Her last major came at the 2017 Australian Open while pregnant.

With defending champion Ashleigh Barty skipping the event over Covid-19 concerns, world number two Halep appears well set for a tilt at a third major.

She battles fellow Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu on Court Suzanne Lenglen, having been spared the grim weather by playing under the new retractable roof in her opener.&nbsp;

Halep has won each of her past three tournaments, resuming the interrupted season with titles on clay in Prague and Rome following her victory at Dubai in February.

US Open champion Dominic Thiem plays American qualifier Jack Sock, a former top 10 player, in the second round while 2015 French Open winner Stan Wawrinka takes on Dominik Koepfer following his mauling of Andy Murray.

Elina Svitolina faces Renata Zarazua, Mexico's first representative in the main draw of a Slam in 20 years, with Victoria Azarenka meeting Anna Karolina Schmiedlova.

Sixth seed Alexander Zverev will come up against Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the final match scheduled on Court Philippe Chatrier.

Rafael Nadal looks to build on a promising start to his quest to match Roger Federer's 20 Grand Slam titles at the French Open on Wednesday while Serena Williams faces a familiar foe in round two of her latest push to equal Margaret Court's all-time mark.

Rafael Nadal looks to build on a promising start to his quest to match Roger Federer's 20 Grand Slam titles at the French Open on Wednesday while Serena Williams faces a familiar foe in round two of her latest push to equal Margaret Court's all-time mark. Top seed and women's favourite Simona Halep puts her 15-match winning streak on the line as she targets another run at a second Roland Garros crown in three years. Nadal needs one more major to pull level with long-time rival Federer and owns an astonishing 94-2 record in Paris going back to his triumph on debut in 2005. The Spaniard showed little trouble in handling the heavier conditions in his opening win over Egor Gerasimov at a tournament postponed four months by the coronavirus pandemic. However, the 34-year-old is wary of an untimely slip-up having made serene progress on his return to action in Rome before running aground in the quarter-finals. "Six months without playing a single tennis match is not easy," said 12-time French Open winner Nadal, who touched down in Paris without a clay title to his name for the first time. "I said in Rome when I played the first two matches well, I said, 'Okay, don't believe things are going to be like this.' "I know how difficult are the comebacks. I had to stop playing tennis for more than two months, so situation is difficult. It's normal, some up and downs." A first-time opponent again awaits Nadal in 236th-ranked American Mackenzie McDonald, whose lone tour win this season came against Yusutaka Uchiyama at Delray Beach in February. In the women's draw, Williams heads into another encounter with Tsvetana Pironkova after the pair squared off in the last eight of the US Open earlier this month. - Serena braces for 'long match' - Williams came from a set down in New York to beat fellow mother Pironkova, in the Bulgarian's first tournament appearance since the 2017 Wimbledon championships. "She's playing well, but I am too," said Williams, imploring herself to play with more confidence after a slow start against Kristie Ahn in round one. "I'm ready to play her. She'll be ready to play me. It will be a long match, she will get a lot of balls back, but so will I. I'll be ready." Williams, seeded sixth, is still chasing an elusive 24th Slam title, but clay is her least successful surface. She has not gone beyond the last 16 in Paris since her defeat to Garbine Muguruza in the 2016 final. Her last major came at the 2017 Australian Open while pregnant. With defending champion Ashleigh Barty skipping the event over Covid-19 concerns, world number two Halep appears well set for a tilt at a third major. She battles fellow Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu on Court Suzanne Lenglen, having been spared the grim weather by playing under the new retractable roof in her opener. Halep has won each of her past three tournaments, resuming the interrupted season with titles on clay in Prague and Rome following her victory at Dubai in February. US Open champion Dominic Thiem plays American qualifier Jack Sock, a former top 10 player, in the second round while 2015 French Open winner Stan Wawrinka takes on Dominik Koepfer following his mauling of Andy Murray. Elina Svitolina faces Renata Zarazua, Mexico's first representative in the main draw of a Slam in 20 years, with Victoria Azarenka meeting Anna Karolina Schmiedlova. Sixth seed Alexander Zverev will come up against Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the final match scheduled on Court Philippe Chatrier.

Nadal, Serena on guard at French Open as Halep plays compatriot

French Open this year has garnered a lot of criticism after delaying their play in autumn instead of summers due to the coronavirus pandemic.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/serena-williams-overcomes-patchy-french-open-start-as-thiem-aces-cilic-test-331015" hreflang="en">Serena Williams overcomes patchy French Open start as Thiem aces Cilic test</a>

Many players complained about the cold weather earlier, and now they have been complaining about the balls used during the tournament.&nbsp;

The Roland Garros switched its game balls from Babolat to Wilson balls.&nbsp;

"The ball is completely different," defending men's champion Rafael Nadal told reporters last week. "The ball is super slow and heavy. (There are) very cold, slow conditions.

"I think (it's) not a good ball to play on clay, honestly. That is my personal opinion. It's not the right ball to play on clay courts." Nadal has found it difficult to spin the ball on clay court due to chilling conditions.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/shut-up-australias-kyrgios-blasts-at-wilander-over-murray-remarks-330943" hreflang="en">'Shut up': Australia's Kyrgios blasts at Wilander over Murray remarks</a>

British ace Dan Evans agreed with the Spaniard and said that some of the balls you "wouldn't give to a dog to chew."

"I think the balls are the biggest thing," he said of the challenging conditions, while also acknowledging the cold.&nbsp;

The Briton lost to Kei Nishikori in the first round on Sunday.&nbsp;

"Maybe they got it a little wrong with the balls. It's tough to get that ball to go anywhere. It's in what month, September, October? That ball is a bit too heavy, I think," he added.&nbsp;

The winner of recently-concluded American Grand Slam Dominic Theim said that the previous balls used (Babolat) during the Roland Garros was "perfect" for topspin and his "favorite ball."

However, some players like Daniil Medvedev supported the new balls as it suited his game.&nbsp;

French Open this year has garnered a lot of criticism after delaying their play in autumn instead of summers due to the coronavirus pandemic. Also read: Serena Williams overcomes patchy French Open start as Thiem aces Cilic test Many players complained about the cold weather earlier, and now they have been complaining about the balls used during the tournament.

French Open this year has garnered a lot of criticism after delaying their play in autumn instead of summers due to the coronavirus pandemic. Also read: Serena Williams overcomes patchy French Open start as Thiem aces Cilic test Many players complained about the cold weather earlier, and now they have been complaining about the balls used during the tournament. The Roland Garros switched its game balls from Babolat to Wilson balls. "The ball is completely different," defending men's champion Rafael Nadal told reporters last week. "The ball is super slow and heavy. (There are) very cold, slow conditions. "I think (it's) not a good ball to play on clay, honestly. That is my personal opinion. It's not the right ball to play on clay courts." Nadal has found it difficult to spin the ball on clay court due to chilling conditions. Also read: 'Shut up': Australia's Kyrgios blasts at Wilander over Murray remarks British ace Dan Evans agreed with the Spaniard and said that some of the balls you "wouldn't give to a dog to chew." "I think the balls are the biggest thing," he said of the challenging conditions, while also acknowledging the cold. The Briton lost to Kei Nishikori in the first round on Sunday. "Maybe they got it a little wrong with the balls. It's tough to get that ball to go anywhere. It's in what month, September, October? That ball is a bit too heavy, I think," he added. The winner of recently-concluded American Grand Slam Dominic Theim said that the previous balls used (Babolat) during the Roland Garros was "perfect" for topspin and his "favorite ball." However, some players like Daniil Medvedev supported the new balls as it suited his game.

'Super slow and heavy': Tennis stars lash out at balls used during French Open

Serena Williams made a slow but successful start Monday to her latest pursuit of a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title at Roland Garros while US Open winner Dominic Thiem navigated a testing first-round tie against former major champion Marin Cilic.

The American star is chasing an elusive 24th Grand Slam title to match Margaret Court's all-time mark, but clay is her least favoured surface.

An error-prone beginning from Williams left world number 102 Kristie Ahn serving for the first set before the three-time Roland Garros champion prevailed 7-6 (7/2), 6-0.

Williams, playing at the French Open for the 18th time, dropped serve twice as Ahn moved 5-4 ahead in the opener in a rematch of their first-round encounter at Flushing Meadows.

But the sixth seed forced a tie-break that she sealed with an ace after a 74-minute slog before charging to an ultimately comfortable victory.

"She played very well in the first set, it wasn't easy for me and she hit a lot of winners," said Williams. "It was important for me to stay focused."

Williams, seeded sixth here, has not gone beyond the last 16 in Paris since her defeat to Garbine Muguruza in the 2016 final. Her last major came at the 2017 Australian Open while pregnant.

Meanwhile Thiem, the runner-up to Rafael Nadal in Paris the past two years, defeated 2014 US Open champion Cilic 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 in their second meeting at a major this month.

"My level was good. I was very happy with the way I played from the beginning to the end basically," said Thiem.

Having captured his maiden Slam in New York, Thiem is trying to become the only man in the Open era to win his first two majors at successive tournaments.

A steady display from Thiem saw the Austrian break Cilic six times under the roof of Court Philippe Chatrier on another gloomy day at Roland Garros, pushed back from its customary May-June slot due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"I really love this tournament, it's by far my best Grand Slam tournament so far," said Thiem, who plays American qualifier Jack Sock in the second round.

"I'm from Austria so I know how it is to play in these cold conditions. I love it when it's not too fast. I felt well from the first moment I came here."

<h2>Nadal faces 'most difficult' defence -</h2>

Nadal, on a mission to match Roger Federer's record of 20 major titles, arrives at the French Open short of preparation and unhappy with the tournament's choice of new balls.

"The conditions here are probably the most difficult conditions for me ever at Roland Garros for so many different facts," said Nadal, who won the first of his 12 French Open titles in 2005.

"The ball is completely different. It is super slow, heavy. It's also very cold, slow conditions."

Nadal has been beaten just twice in 95 matches at the tournament but now must adjust to the unusual autumnal chill in Paris.&nbsp;

The heavier atmosphere could negate some of Nadal's lethal topspin as he heads into the event without a clay title under his belt for the first time.

However a first-time meeting with Egor Gerasimov, the world number 83 from Belarus, is unlikely to trouble him.

The competition began Sunday amid steady drizzle in temperatures struggling to reach 10 degrees (50F), conditions branded "ridiculous" by US Open finalist Victoria Azarenka. &nbsp;

Play on Monday was initially delayed by more persistent rain. Twice Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova defeated Oceane Dodin 6-3, 7-5 in the only match to start on time under the new roof on Court Philippe Chatrier.&nbsp;

Dutch fifth seed Kiki Bertens recovered from a poor start once conditions improved to overhaul 112th-ranked Ukrainian Katarina Zavatska 2-6, 6-2, 6-0.

Third seed Elina Svitolina scrapped past Varvara Gracheva of Russia 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 while last year's runner-up Marketa Vondrousova was bundled out 6-1, 6-2 by 2018 junior champion Iga Swiatek.

Overall prize money at this year's event is down 11 percent at 14,491,000 euros, but players beaten in the first round will receive 60,000 euros -- a 30 percent increase compared to 2019.&nbsp;

Serena Williams made a slow but successful start Monday to her latest pursuit of a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title at Roland Garros while US Open winner Dominic Thiem navigated a testing first-round tie against former major champion Marin Cilic.

Serena Williams made a slow but successful start Monday to her latest pursuit of a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title at Roland Garros while US Open winner Dominic Thiem navigated a testing first-round tie against former major champion Marin Cilic. The American star is chasing an elusive 24th Grand Slam title to match Margaret Court's all-time mark, but clay is her least favoured surface. An error-prone beginning from Williams left world number 102 Kristie Ahn serving for the first set before the three-time Roland Garros champion prevailed 7-6 (7/2), 6-0. Williams, playing at the French Open for the 18th time, dropped serve twice as Ahn moved 5-4 ahead in the opener in a rematch of their first-round encounter at Flushing Meadows. But the sixth seed forced a tie-break that she sealed with an ace after a 74-minute slog before charging to an ultimately comfortable victory. "She played very well in the first set, it wasn't easy for me and she hit a lot of winners," said Williams. "It was important for me to stay focused." Williams, seeded sixth here, has not gone beyond the last 16 in Paris since her defeat to Garbine Muguruza in the 2016 final. Her last major came at the 2017 Australian Open while pregnant. Meanwhile Thiem, the runner-up to Rafael Nadal in Paris the past two years, defeated 2014 US Open champion Cilic 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 in their second meeting at a major this month. "My level was good. I was very happy with the way I played from the beginning to the end basically," said Thiem. Having captured his maiden Slam in New York, Thiem is trying to become the only man in the Open era to win his first two majors at successive tournaments. A steady display from Thiem saw the Austrian break Cilic six times under the roof of Court Philippe Chatrier on another gloomy day at Roland Garros, pushed back from its customary May-June slot due to the coronavirus pandemic. "I really love this tournament, it's by far my best Grand Slam tournament so far," said Thiem, who plays American qualifier Jack Sock in the second round. "I'm from Austria so I know how it is to play in these cold conditions. I love it when it's not too fast. I felt well from the first moment I came here." Nadal faces 'most difficult' defence - Nadal, on a mission to match Roger Federer's record of 20 major titles, arrives at the French Open short of preparation and unhappy with the tournament's choice of new balls. "The conditions here are probably the most difficult conditions for me ever at Roland Garros for so many different facts," said Nadal, who won the first of his 12 French Open titles in 2005. "The ball is completely different. It is super slow, heavy. It's also very cold, slow conditions." Nadal has been beaten just twice in 95 matches at the tournament but now must adjust to the unusual autumnal chill in Paris. The heavier atmosphere could negate some of Nadal's lethal topspin as he heads into the event without a clay title under his belt for the first time. However a first-time meeting with Egor Gerasimov, the world number 83 from Belarus, is unlikely to trouble him. The competition began Sunday amid steady drizzle in temperatures struggling to reach 10 degrees (50F), conditions branded "ridiculous" by US Open finalist Victoria Azarenka. Play on Monday was initially delayed by more persistent rain. Twice Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova defeated Oceane Dodin 6-3, 7-5 in the only match to start on time under the new roof on Court Philippe Chatrier. Dutch fifth seed Kiki Bertens recovered from a poor start once conditions improved to overhaul 112th-ranked Ukrainian Katarina Zavatska 2-6, 6-2, 6-0. Third seed Elina Svitolina scrapped past Varvara Gracheva of Russia 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 while last year's runner-up Marketa Vondrousova was bundled out 6-1, 6-2 by 2018 junior champion Iga Swiatek. Overall prize money at this year's event is down 11 percent at 14,491,000 euros, but players beaten in the first round will receive 60,000 euros -- a 30 percent increase compared to 2019.

Serena Williams overcomes patchy French Open start as Thiem aces Cilic test

Novak Djokovic will renew his love-hate relationship with Roland Garros in the knowledge that it is himself rather than seemingly unsettled 12-time champion Rafael Nadal who could pose the greatest threat to winning a second Paris title and 18th Grand Slam crown.

The only man to beat Djokovic in 2020 is Djokovic after the Serb's hair-trigger temper prompted a sensational disqualification from the US Open.

The 33-year-old arrives in the French capital with a 31-1 record this year after his New York brain-fade was followed by a record 36th Masters title in Rome.

Djokovic's 2016 triumph at Roland Garros allowed him to become only the third man after Don Budge and Rod Laver to hold all four Grand Slams at the same time.

Not even Nadal, the holder of 19 majors, or Roger Federer, with a record 20 Slams, can match that staggering achievement.

Federer will miss the French Open as he rehabs his injured knee while Nadal has played just three matches since February, a ring-rustiness evident in his quarter-final exit in Rome.

However, Djokovic refused to get carried away by his chances at Roland Garros ahead of Sunday's start in a wet and chilly Paris.

"It's Nadal," insisted the world number one when pushed on who is the favourite. "You just can't put anybody in front of him."

Djokovic is right to be cautious after experiencing numerous low points on the red clay of Paris.

In the 2012 final against Nadal, having won eight games in a row, he was up a break and pushing to level the match at two sets apiece when rain brought an overnight suspension.

Play resumed the following day but Djokovic's momentum was lost and a double-fault on championship point completed his misery.

Twelve months later, Djokovic was poised for a semi-final win over Nadal with just a routine putaway required to help give him a 5-3 final set lead and a chance to serve for the match.

However, he chose a smash rather than a soothing touch. He tumbled into the net, losing the point and Nadal pounced to eventually take the tie after four hours and 37 minutes.

In 2018, he lost a quarter-final to world number 72 Marco Cecchinato while last year he was beaten in the semi-finals by Dominic Thiem.

That match took two days to complete, featured numerous rain stoppages and winds so strong that a courtside umbrella was sent flying across court.

<h2>- 'Ball is dangerous' -</h2>

&nbsp;

Djokovic will start his tournament against Sweden's Mikael Ymer, the world number 80.

Nadal, who skipped the defence of his US Open title due to fears over coronavirus, eyes a 13th French Open.

Since his title-winning debut in 2005, the Spaniard has only lost twice at Roland Garros in 95 matches - to Robin Soderling in 2009 and Djokovic in 2015.

The 34-year-old may appear to be under-cooked after his last-eight exit in Rome to Diego Schwartzman.

However, the last time he suffered such an early departure from the Italian capital was in 2017 -- just weeks later he was lifting a 10th French Open without dropping a set.

Nadal cut an unsettled figure at a pre-tournament press conference on Friday where he admitted the cold and damp conditions forced him to face his "most difficult ever Roland Garros".

He is also unhappy about using a new brand of ball.

"For the health of the players, the ball is super heavy and becomes dangerous for the elbow and for the shoulders," he said.

Nadal begins his campaign against Egor Gerasimov, the 83rd-ranked Belarusian.

The unusual sight of Roland Garros being played in the autumn also means radically different conditions to those expected in its normal time slot of May and June.

&nbsp;

<h2>- Murray v Wawrinka first round -</h2>

That could suit newly-crowned US Open winner Thiem who has lost the last two finals to Nadal in Paris.

The world number three Austrian has 17 career titles with 10 of those on clay.

Four of his five wins over Nadal have come on clay with three of four victories against Djokovic carved out on the sport's most testing surface.

This year, Thiem will be in the same half of the draw as Nadal and starts against Marin Cilic, the 2014 US Open winner and a former world number three.

World number five Daniil Medvedev has yet to win a match at the tournament in three visits while sixth-ranked Stefanos Tsitsipas made the last 16 in 2019, losing a five-set marathon to 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka.

Wawrinka faces fellow three-time major winner Andy Murray in the first round on Sunday in a rematch of their 2017 semi-final epic, a tie which Murray described as the clash which "ended his hip".

Novak Djokovic will renew his love-hate relationship with Roland Garros in the knowledge that it is himself rather than seemingly unsettled 12-time champion Rafael Nadal who could pose the greatest threat to winning a second Paris title and 18th Grand Slam crown.

Novak Djokovic will renew his love-hate relationship with Roland Garros in the knowledge that it is himself rather than seemingly unsettled 12-time champion Rafael Nadal who could pose the greatest threat to winning a second Paris title and 18th Grand Slam crown. The only man to beat Djokovic in 2020 is Djokovic after the Serb's hair-trigger temper prompted a sensational disqualification from the US Open. The 33-year-old arrives in the French capital with a 31-1 record this year after his New York brain-fade was followed by a record 36th Masters title in Rome. Djokovic's 2016 triumph at Roland Garros allowed him to become only the third man after Don Budge and Rod Laver to hold all four Grand Slams at the same time. Not even Nadal, the holder of 19 majors, or Roger Federer, with a record 20 Slams, can match that staggering achievement. Federer will miss the French Open as he rehabs his injured knee while Nadal has played just three matches since February, a ring-rustiness evident in his quarter-final exit in Rome. However, Djokovic refused to get carried away by his chances at Roland Garros ahead of Sunday's start in a wet and chilly Paris. "It's Nadal," insisted the world number one when pushed on who is the favourite. "You just can't put anybody in front of him." Djokovic is right to be cautious after experiencing numerous low points on the red clay of Paris. In the 2012 final against Nadal, having won eight games in a row, he was up a break and pushing to level the match at two sets apiece when rain brought an overnight suspension. Play resumed the following day but Djokovic's momentum was lost and a double-fault on championship point completed his misery. Twelve months later, Djokovic was poised for a semi-final win over Nadal with just a routine putaway required to help give him a 5-3 final set lead and a chance to serve for the match. However, he chose a smash rather than a soothing touch. He tumbled into the net, losing the point and Nadal pounced to eventually take the tie after four hours and 37 minutes. In 2018, he lost a quarter-final to world number 72 Marco Cecchinato while last year he was beaten in the semi-finals by Dominic Thiem. That match took two days to complete, featured numerous rain stoppages and winds so strong that a courtside umbrella was sent flying across court. - 'Ball is dangerous' - Djokovic will start his tournament against Sweden's Mikael Ymer, the world number 80. Nadal, who skipped the defence of his US Open title due to fears over coronavirus, eyes a 13th French Open. Since his title-winning debut in 2005, the Spaniard has only lost twice at Roland Garros in 95 matches - to Robin Soderling in 2009 and Djokovic in 2015. The 34-year-old may appear to be under-cooked after his last-eight exit in Rome to Diego Schwartzman. However, the last time he suffered such an early departure from the Italian capital was in 2017 -- just weeks later he was lifting a 10th French Open without dropping a set. Nadal cut an unsettled figure at a pre-tournament press conference on Friday where he admitted the cold and damp conditions forced him to face his "most difficult ever Roland Garros". He is also unhappy about using a new brand of ball. "For the health of the players, the ball is super heavy and becomes dangerous for the elbow and for the shoulders," he said. Nadal begins his campaign against Egor Gerasimov, the 83rd-ranked Belarusian. The unusual sight of Roland Garros being played in the autumn also means radically different conditions to those expected in its normal time slot of May and June. - Murray v Wawrinka first round - That could suit newly-crowned US Open winner Thiem who has lost the last two finals to Nadal in Paris. The world number three Austrian has 17 career titles with 10 of those on clay. Four of his five wins over Nadal have come on clay with three of four victories against Djokovic carved out on the sport's most testing surface. This year, Thiem will be in the same half of the draw as Nadal and starts against Marin Cilic, the 2014 US Open winner and a former world number three. World number five Daniil Medvedev has yet to win a match at the tournament in three visits while sixth-ranked Stefanos Tsitsipas made the last 16 in 2019, losing a five-set marathon to 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka. Wawrinka faces fellow three-time major winner Andy Murray in the first round on Sunday in a rematch of their 2017 semi-final epic, a tie which Murray described as the clash which "ended his hip".

Djokovic braced for unhappy Nadal and Roland Garros demons

The undisputed king of clay, Rafael Nadal is one title away from matching Roger Federer's all-time Grand Slam record, but 15 years on from the Spaniard's first French Open triumph he appears more vulnerable than ever at his beloved Roland Garros.

Nadal owns an astounding 93-2 record in Paris dating back to his debut in 2005, when, still a teenager, he became the first player to win the French Open on his first attempt since Mats Wilander in 1982.&nbsp;

Fast-forward to the present day, and his 19 Grand Slam crowns -- a record 12 of which have come at Roland Garros -- coupled with Federer's absence after knee surgery leave him on the brink of history at a venue where he has won each of the past three years.

Yet a multitude of factors, mostly beyond his control, have conspired against Nadal and offered hope to his chief rivals -- namely Novak Djokovic and recent US Open winner Dominic Thiem.

Boris Becker, a former coach of world number one Djokovic, suggested the rescheduled tournament -- pushed back from its traditional spring billing due to the coronavirus pandemic -- will be tougher than usual for Nadal.

The heavier conditions could suit hardcourt players more and negate some of Nadal's lethal topspin, possibly aiding Thiem who has finished runner-up in Paris twice in succession.&nbsp;

"This year is going to be particularly hard for Rafael Nadal. He's my number one favourite but the difference between him and the other players is less big this year than usual," said Becker, a six-time Grand Slam champion.

"He's not in his regular rhythm. He needs match practice. Normally, he was coming to Roland Garros having often played four big clay tournaments, which he had generally won."

Nadal will head into the French Open without a clay title under his belt for the first time, having lost in straight sets to Diego Schwartzman in the quarter-finals at Rome -- his first tournament in six months.

"It's not a moment for excuses. I've spent a long time without competing, I played two good matches," Nadal, who skipped the US Open citing Covid-19 concerns, said following the defeat. &nbsp;

"It's a completely special and unpredictable year," he added. "I did my job here. I did a couple things well and other things bad. At least I played three matches."

&nbsp;

<h2>- 'Beatable on clay' -</h2>

&nbsp;

Despite the sense this is the most understrength version of Nadal at the French Open in recent times, Djokovic remains adamant the 34-year-old is again the favourite to lift the Coupe des Mousquetaires.

"The record that he has there, the history of his results, you just can't put anybody in front of him," said Djokovic, himself vying to add to his lone 2016 triumph at Roland Garros.

"But, you know, definitely Diego showed that Nadal is beatable on clay," added the Serb. &nbsp;

"The conditions that they played on, obviously heavy clay, not much bounce, humid, night sessions, we are going to have that as well in Paris. I'm pretty sure that he does not prefer that to a high bounce. I know he likes the high bounce.

"He likes the hot and warm and fast conditions, where he can use his spin a lot. Even though he's the favourite, I think there are players that can win against him there."

Another championship run for Nadal, not accounting for potential walkovers, would&nbsp;take him to a century of wins at the French Open. Only Federer, Serena Williams, Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert have hit triple digits in wins at a single major in the Open era.

Schwartzman agreed that Nadal was still the favourite.

"Rafa is the king. It's his house. He went to Roland Garros many years playing good, sometimes not playing his best and he won. &nbsp;

"I think Rafa is always there, the guy who is going to win." &nbsp;

The undisputed king of clay, Rafael Nadal is one title away from matching Roger Federer's all-time Grand Slam record, but 15 years on from the Spaniard's first French Open triumph he appears more vulnerable than ever at his beloved Roland Garros.

The undisputed king of clay, Rafael Nadal is one title away from matching Roger Federer's all-time Grand Slam record, but 15 years on from the Spaniard's first French Open triumph he appears more vulnerable than ever at his beloved Roland Garros. Nadal owns an astounding 93-2 record in Paris dating back to his debut in 2005, when, still a teenager, he became the first player to win the French Open on his first attempt since Mats Wilander in 1982. Fast-forward to the present day, and his 19 Grand Slam crowns -- a record 12 of which have come at Roland Garros -- coupled with Federer's absence after knee surgery leave him on the brink of history at a venue where he has won each of the past three years. Yet a multitude of factors, mostly beyond his control, have conspired against Nadal and offered hope to his chief rivals -- namely Novak Djokovic and recent US Open winner Dominic Thiem. Boris Becker, a former coach of world number one Djokovic, suggested the rescheduled tournament -- pushed back from its traditional spring billing due to the coronavirus pandemic -- will be tougher than usual for Nadal. The heavier conditions could suit hardcourt players more and negate some of Nadal's lethal topspin, possibly aiding Thiem who has finished runner-up in Paris twice in succession. "This year is going to be particularly hard for Rafael Nadal. He's my number one favourite but the difference between him and the other players is less big this year than usual," said Becker, a six-time Grand Slam champion. "He's not in his regular rhythm. He needs match practice. Normally, he was coming to Roland Garros having often played four big clay tournaments, which he had generally won." Nadal will head into the French Open without a clay title under his belt for the first time, having lost in straight sets to Diego Schwartzman in the quarter-finals at Rome -- his first tournament in six months. "It's not a moment for excuses. I've spent a long time without competing, I played two good matches," Nadal, who skipped the US Open citing Covid-19 concerns, said following the defeat. "It's a completely special and unpredictable year," he added. "I did my job here. I did a couple things well and other things bad. At least I played three matches." - 'Beatable on clay' - Despite the sense this is the most understrength version of Nadal at the French Open in recent times, Djokovic remains adamant the 34-year-old is again the favourite to lift the Coupe des Mousquetaires. "The record that he has there, the history of his results, you just can't put anybody in front of him," said Djokovic, himself vying to add to his lone 2016 triumph at Roland Garros. "But, you know, definitely Diego showed that Nadal is beatable on clay," added the Serb. "The conditions that they played on, obviously heavy clay, not much bounce, humid, night sessions, we are going to have that as well in Paris. I'm pretty sure that he does not prefer that to a high bounce. I know he likes the high bounce. "He likes the hot and warm and fast conditions, where he can use his spin a lot. Even though he's the favourite, I think there are players that can win against him there." Another championship run for Nadal, not accounting for potential walkovers, would take him to a century of wins at the French Open. Only Federer, Serena Williams, Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert have hit triple digits in wins at a single major in the Open era. Schwartzman agreed that Nadal was still the favourite. "Rafa is the king. It's his house. He went to Roland Garros many years playing good, sometimes not playing his best and he won. "I think Rafa is always there, the guy who is going to win."

Nadal eyes Federer record, 15 years after first Roland Garros title

The French Open at Roland Garros was braced Wednesday to cut its crowd limit once again to as low as 1,000 fans a day after the government announced new limits in its battle against the coronavirus pandemic.

French tennis chiefs had already reduced the number of fans allowed in for the season's concluding Grand Slam event, which starts Sunday in Paris, to 5,000 ten days ago, down from 11,500.

However, on Wednesday, health minister Olivier Veran demanded new limits at sports grounds in 11 'red zones' in the country, one of which includes the French capital.

"To date, we have no confirmation on the conditions of organisation of the tournament," said a French Tennis Federation spokesman.

This new ceiling of 5,000 will apply "from Saturday after consultation between the prefects and local elected officials", said Veran.

The health minister also announced "the closure of sports halls and gymnasiums" because "they are confined spaces ....and which are unfortunately places of significant contamination".

These new measures, which will last for a period of two weeks, also concern the areas of Bordeaux, Lyon, Nice, Lille, Toulouse, Saint-Etienne, Rennes, Rouen, Grenoble and Montpellier.&nbsp;

The French Open at Roland Garros was braced Wednesday to cut its crowd limit once again to as low as 1,000 fans a day after the government announced new limits in its battle against the coronavirus pandemic.

The French Open at Roland Garros was braced Wednesday to cut its crowd limit once again to as low as 1,000 fans a day after the government announced new limits in its battle against the coronavirus pandemic. French tennis chiefs had already reduced the number of fans allowed in for the season's concluding Grand Slam event, which starts Sunday in Paris, to 5,000 ten days ago, down from 11,500. However, on Wednesday, health minister Olivier Veran demanded new limits at sports grounds in 11 'red zones' in the country, one of which includes the French capital. "To date, we have no confirmation on the conditions of organisation of the tournament," said a French Tennis Federation spokesman. This new ceiling of 5,000 will apply "from Saturday after consultation between the prefects and local elected officials", said Veran. The health minister also announced "the closure of sports halls and gymnasiums" because "they are confined spaces ....and which are unfortunately places of significant contamination". These new measures, which will last for a period of two weeks, also concern the areas of Bordeaux, Lyon, Nice, Lille, Toulouse, Saint-Etienne, Rennes, Rouen, Grenoble and Montpellier.

Roland Garros braced for crowd limit of 1,000 due to Covid-19

Australian ace Nick Kyrgios on Thursday dropped a massive hint that he will skip the much-awaited French Open as he said chances of him travelling to Europe in the year 2020 were “slim to none”. Kyrgios has already pulled out of US Open in New York due to COVID-19 pandemic while world number two Rafael Nadal following suit.

Kyrgios, who is one of the biggest drawcards, said he wasn’t surprised to see Nadal opting out of US Open but said that the Spaniard was likely “eyeing the French Open” scheduled to be held in late September.&nbsp;

"And if I was to play I'd probably definitely rather go to Europe (than America) at this time of year for sure with everything going on," Kyrgios added to Channel Nine television from his Canberra base.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/nadal-still-preparing-to-play-roland-garros-despite-us-open-withdrawal-318418" hreflang="en">Nadal still preparing to play Roland Garros despite US Open withdrawal</a>

It's a very slim chance I'll play in Europe. Almost slim to none to be honest," he said.

"I'm going to use this (time) to stay home, train, be with my family, be with my friends and I'm just going to act responsibly, and wait till I think there's better circumstances to play."

Kyrgios went on to cast doubt on Australian Open 2021, scheduled in January, with host city Melbourne battling another outbreak that has triggered a lockdown and curfew in the city.

"I'm not too sure the Australian Open will be going ahead as it did at the start of the year with the pandemic in Melbourne," he said.

"It's sad times in Melbourne so I'm not too sure if the Australian Open will go on."

Kyrgios has been extremely vocal in his criticism of some of the top players, who participated at Novak Djokovic’s ill-fated Adria Tour exhibition.&nbsp;

"Their behaviour throughout this time, I don't think has been great at all. Especially coming from some of our leaders of the sport," Kyrgios said.

"On top of our game they're supposed to be setting an example for the rest of the tour, and them coming back at me with behaviour that I've done on court, I mean it just shows their intellectual level to be honest.

"Putting lives at risk, it's not really comparable."

Australian ace Nick Kyrgios on Thursday dropped a massive hint that he will skip the much-awaited French Open as he said chances of him travelling to Europe in the year 2020 were “slim to none”.

Australian ace Nick Kyrgios on Thursday dropped a massive hint that he will skip the much-awaited French Open as he said chances of him travelling to Europe in the year 2020 were “slim to none”. Kyrgios has already pulled out of US Open in New York due to COVID-19 pandemic while world number two Rafael Nadal following suit. Kyrgios, who is one of the biggest drawcards, said he wasn’t surprised to see Nadal opting out of US Open but said that the Spaniard was likely “eyeing the French Open” scheduled to be held in late September. "And if I was to play I'd probably definitely rather go to Europe (than America) at this time of year for sure with everything going on," Kyrgios added to Channel Nine television from his Canberra base. ALSO READ: Nadal still preparing to play Roland Garros despite US Open withdrawal It's a very slim chance I'll play in Europe. Almost slim to none to be honest," he said. "I'm going to use this (time) to stay home, train, be with my family, be with my friends and I'm just going to act responsibly, and wait till I think there's better circumstances to play." Kyrgios went on to cast doubt on Australian Open 2021, scheduled in January, with host city Melbourne battling another outbreak that has triggered a lockdown and curfew in the city. "I'm not too sure the Australian Open will be going ahead as it did at the start of the year with the pandemic in Melbourne," he said. "It's sad times in Melbourne so I'm not too sure if the Australian Open will go on." Kyrgios has been extremely vocal in his criticism of some of the top players, who participated at Novak Djokovic’s ill-fated Adria Tour exhibition. "Their behaviour throughout this time, I don't think has been great at all. Especially coming from some of our leaders of the sport," Kyrgios said. "On top of our game they're supposed to be setting an example for the rest of the tour, and them coming back at me with behaviour that I've done on court, I mean it just shows their intellectual level to be honest. "Putting lives at risk, it's not really comparable."

'Slim to none' - Nick Kyrgios unlikely for French Open 2020

French&nbsp;Open&nbsp;organisers are taking every precaution to ensure the Grand Slam does not meet the same fate as Novak&nbsp;Djokovic's&nbsp;Adria Tour, which was abandoned after several players tested positive for COVID-19, tournament&nbsp;director&nbsp;Guy Forget has told Reuters.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/strawberries-and-cream-wimbledon-thanks-londons-nhs-and-front-line-workers-for-their-efforts-310250" hreflang="en">'Strawberries and cream': Wimbledon thanks London's NHS and front-line workers for their efforts!</a>

Djokovic has come under fire after the charity&nbsp;event&nbsp;was played in front of packed crowds in Serbia and Croatia and saw players hugging at the net and posing for pictures together.

Djokovic, Grigor Dimitrov, Borna Coric and Viktor Troicki have all tested positive for the new coronavirus.

The&nbsp;French&nbsp;Open&nbsp;will allow up to 60% of the&nbsp;usual capacity inside the Roland Garros grounds when the rescheduled claycourt tournament starts on Sept. 27 and Forget said there was no chance of them repeating the mistakes of the Adria Tour.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/sri-lankas-kusal-mendis-granted-bail-over-deadly-accident-agrees-to-pay-1-million-in-compensation-311051" hreflang="en">Sri Lanka's Kusal Mendis granted bail over deadly accident, agrees to pay 1 million in compensation</a>

"Maybe some people were overconfident there," Forget said by telephone.

"Luckily no one got hurt really bad but even a few cases is too much and we want to avoid that as much as we can.

"We want to reassure everyone that having people getting ill will be terrible for&nbsp;us. Let's be really careful, really cautious."

France began easing restrictions in May but has been reporting over 500 cases daily in recent days. Protective masks will be mandatory for anyone on the move inside Roland Garros and they will be recommended for those sitting courtside.

The&nbsp;French&nbsp;Tennis Federation (FFT) expect some 20,000 spectators a day during the early stages of the two-week tournament and about 10,000 per day on the final weekend.

Forget said a successful&nbsp;event&nbsp;needed to have some kind of a crowd.

"We all see soccer on television, it's wonderful but something is missing without the crowds," the former world No. 4 said.

"We are working closely with the administration, the government, to make sure we can provide some crowd while still following very strict security measures."

&nbsp;

MORE FLEXIBLE

The U.S.&nbsp;Open&nbsp;in New York, which is scheduled to start on Aug. 31, will have no spectators and operate under strict health protocols, including limiting the size of each player's entourage.

Forget said&nbsp;French&nbsp;Open&nbsp;organisers were not planning anything as strict and were even hoping to ease restrictions.

"Luckily things are a bit more flexible in Europe and in France, especially," he said. "Hopefully, what we're going to announce will probably be even more flexible than what we did."

The FFT drew heavy criticism in mid-March when it unilaterally moved the&nbsp;French&nbsp;Open&nbsp;to September from its scheduled May start amid the COVID-19 crisis, placing it in the middle of the hardcourt season.

Forget said he understood why some were unhappy about it but thought saving one of the most prestigious&nbsp;and lucrative tournaments in tennis was worth it.

"We're not going to celebrate or congratulate ourselves for the decision we took," the 55-year-old said.

"We thought it's a risk worth taking. Of course we'll make people unhappy.

"But in mid-October, if we're able to come together and we've been able to provide revenue for 600 people, I think we will be very satisfied as a federation and I as a former player."

Forget was reasonably confident the tournament would be a success but would not relax until after the men's final on Oct. 11.

"I don't want to shout 'victory' before the tournament actually happens," Forget said.

"As the tournament&nbsp;director&nbsp;I'll only be happy once the men's winner shakes the hand of the finalist.

"We will all together be able to say, we did it."

French Open organisers are taking every precaution to ensure the Grand Slam does not meet the same fate as Novak Djokovic's Adria Tour, which was abandoned after several players tested positive for COVID-19, tournament director Guy Forget has told Reuters.

French Open organisers are taking every precaution to ensure the Grand Slam does not meet the same fate as Novak Djokovic's Adria Tour, which was abandoned after several players tested positive for COVID-19, tournament director Guy Forget has told Reuters. Also read: 'Strawberries and cream': Wimbledon thanks London's NHS and front-line workers for their efforts! Djokovic has come under fire after the charity event was played in front of packed crowds in Serbia and Croatia and saw players hugging at the net and posing for pictures together. Djokovic, Grigor Dimitrov, Borna Coric and Viktor Troicki have all tested positive for the new coronavirus. The French Open will allow up to 60% of the usual capacity inside the Roland Garros grounds when the rescheduled claycourt tournament starts on Sept. 27 and Forget said there was no chance of them repeating the mistakes of the Adria Tour. Also read: Sri Lanka's Kusal Mendis granted bail over deadly accident, agrees to pay 1 million in compensation "Maybe some people were overconfident there," Forget said by telephone. "Luckily no one got hurt really bad but even a few cases is too much and we want to avoid that as much as we can. "We want to reassure everyone that having people getting ill will be terrible for us. Let's be really careful, really cautious." France began easing restrictions in May but has been reporting over 500 cases daily in recent days. Protective masks will be mandatory for anyone on the move inside Roland Garros and they will be recommended for those sitting courtside. The French Tennis Federation (FFT) expect some 20,000 spectators a day during the early stages of the two-week tournament and about 10,000 per day on the final weekend. Forget said a successful event needed to have some kind of a crowd. "We all see soccer on television, it's wonderful but something is missing without the crowds," the former world No. 4 said. "We are working closely with the administration, the government, to make sure we can provide some crowd while still following very strict security measures." MORE FLEXIBLE The U.S. Open in New York, which is scheduled to start on Aug. 31, will have no spectators and operate under strict health protocols, including limiting the size of each player's entourage. Forget said French Open organisers were not planning anything as strict and were even hoping to ease restrictions. "Luckily things are a bit more flexible in Europe and in France, especially," he said. "Hopefully, what we're going to announce will probably be even more flexible than what we did." The FFT drew heavy criticism in mid-March when it unilaterally moved the French Open to September from its scheduled May start amid the COVID-19 crisis, placing it in the middle of the hardcourt season. Forget said he understood why some were unhappy about it but thought saving one of the most prestigious and lucrative tournaments in tennis was worth it. "We're not going to celebrate or congratulate ourselves for the decision we took," the 55-year-old said. "We thought it's a risk worth taking. Of course we'll make people unhappy. "But in mid-October, if we're able to come together and we've been able to provide revenue for 600 people, I think we will be very satisfied as a federation and I as a former player." Forget was reasonably confident the tournament would be a success but would not relax until after the men's final on Oct. 11. "I don't want to shout 'victory' before the tournament actually happens," Forget said. "As the tournament director I'll only be happy once the men's winner shakes the hand of the finalist. "We will all together be able to say, we did it."

Novak Djokovic's event taught us to be cautious: French Open director

Rafael Nadal's uncle Toni Nadal has said that the world no 2 tennis player is hesitant by the proximity of US and French Opens. These Grand Slams were rearranged due to coronavirus pandemic.&nbsp;

US Open will be held between August 31 to September 13 in New York with support of ATP and WTA. The French Open was moved to September and is scheduled to start one week after the US Open men’s final.

But due to major concerns, the dates for the French Grand Slam have pushed a few weeks ahead and is now rescheduled for 27 September to 5 October.

Several ATP tour events are also due to take place on dates in between, starting with the Citi Open in Washington DC on 14 August.

In an interview with ESPN, Rafael's uncle Toni said: “He was hesitating."

"He told me about the calendar and I find the ATP calendar a bit ugly because it is almost unmanageable for veterans, especially for the Big 3,” Toni added.&nbsp;

According to ATP Chairman, Andrea Gaudenzi, he viewed the new schedule differently. He said: “Our objective has been to reschedule as many tournaments as possible and salvage as much of the season as we can."

Rafael Nadal's uncle Toni Nadal has said that the world no 2 tennis player is hesitant by the proximity of US and French Opens. These Grand Slams were rearranged due to coronavirus pandemic.

Rafael Nadal's uncle Toni Nadal has said that the world no 2 tennis player is hesitant by the proximity of US and French Opens. These Grand Slams were rearranged due to coronavirus pandemic. US Open will be held between August 31 to September 13 in New York with support of ATP and WTA. The French Open was moved to September and is scheduled to start one week after the US Open men’s final. But due to major concerns, the dates for the French Grand Slam have pushed a few weeks ahead and is now rescheduled for 27 September to 5 October. Several ATP tour events are also due to take place on dates in between, starting with the Citi Open in Washington DC on 14 August. In an interview with ESPN, Rafael's uncle Toni said: “He was hesitating." "He told me about the calendar and I find the ATP calendar a bit ugly because it is almost unmanageable for veterans, especially for the Big 3,” Toni added. According to ATP Chairman, Andrea Gaudenzi, he viewed the new schedule differently. He said: “Our objective has been to reschedule as many tournaments as possible and salvage as much of the season as we can."

Rafael is 'hesitant' over US and French Open's proximity: Toni Nadal

The head of French tennis federation (FFT) has announced that the French Open will be held with fans. The Grand Slam is set to begin on September 27 and will go on till October 11.&nbsp;

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"It will absolutely not be behind closed doors. There is no final decision yet on the number of spectators, which will be decided on with the public authorities," FFT president Bernard Giudicelli told reporters.

The French Open was delayed by almost three months due to the coronavirus outbreak across the globe and the schedule for Roland Garros was postponed from May to September. Grand Slam being played comes as a relief to lower-ranked players who have been especially hard hit by the lack of earning opportunities since tennis was shut down in March.

According to Giudicelli, the tickets will be sold around the end of the month or beginning of July.

Earlier, players complained about the jam-packed schedule as they get just seven weeks to prepare after the US Open is held. But the French tennis head is confident that top players will turn up to play.&nbsp;

"Seventy-five players from the top 100 are currently in Europe and I am convinced they will preserve themselves to be in top form in Paris," said Forget.

He also said that Paris masters would take place from October 31 to November 8.

The head of French tennis federation (FFT) has announced that the French Open will be held with fans. The Grand Slam is set to begin on September 27 and will go on till October 11.

The head of French tennis federation (FFT) has announced that the French Open will be held with fans. The Grand Slam is set to begin on September 27 and will go on till October 11. Also read: 'It's becoming normal that people speak out on social issues': Marcus Rashford "It will absolutely not be behind closed doors. There is no final decision yet on the number of spectators, which will be decided on with the public authorities," FFT president Bernard Giudicelli told reporters. The French Open was delayed by almost three months due to the coronavirus outbreak across the globe and the schedule for Roland Garros was postponed from May to September. Grand Slam being played comes as a relief to lower-ranked players who have been especially hard hit by the lack of earning opportunities since tennis was shut down in March. According to Giudicelli, the tickets will be sold around the end of the month or beginning of July. Earlier, players complained about the jam-packed schedule as they get just seven weeks to prepare after the US Open is held. But the French tennis head is confident that top players will turn up to play. "Seventy-five players from the top 100 are currently in Europe and I am convinced they will preserve themselves to be in top form in Paris," said Forget. He also said that Paris masters would take place from October 31 to November 8.

Roland Garros to be held with fans: French tennis federation

French Tennis Federation president Bernard Giudicelli on Monday said that he would want to have a full house court during the French Open but only the government can decide if spectators can attend the postponed tournament.

French Open was supposed to begin last week, but due to on-going coronavirus, the play has been postponed by four months and is set to commence on September 20. The Grand Slam will be played behind closed doors and the tickets bought for the May-June tournament were refunded.&nbsp;

During a video call with French player Gael Montfils, Giudicelli said: "The preferred option is to have a Roland Garros with as many spectators as possible."

"After that, depending on the health conditions, we will adapt to the directives the government gives us. The government will decide how many people can be there."

According to the head of French Tennis, the organisers of these tournaments are not in the favour of playing behind doors "because Roland Garros, like all the major tournaments, is a meeting between the players and the public.

"That's what gives this tournament its magic," he added.

All sporting events including tennis have been put on hold since March due to the on-going coronavirus pandemic.&nbsp;

French Tennis Federation president Bernard Giudicelli on Monday said that he would want to have a full house court during the French Open but only the government can decide if spectators can attend the postponed tournament.

French Tennis Federation president Bernard Giudicelli on Monday said that he would want to have a full house court during the French Open but only the government can decide if spectators can attend the postponed tournament. French Open was supposed to begin last week, but due to on-going coronavirus, the play has been postponed by four months and is set to commence on September 20. The Grand Slam will be played behind closed doors and the tickets bought for the May-June tournament were refunded. During a video call with French player Gael Montfils, Giudicelli said: "The preferred option is to have a Roland Garros with as many spectators as possible." "After that, depending on the health conditions, we will adapt to the directives the government gives us. The government will decide how many people can be there." According to the head of French Tennis, the organisers of these tournaments are not in the favour of playing behind doors "because Roland Garros, like all the major tournaments, is a meeting between the players and the public. "That's what gives this tournament its magic," he added. All sporting events including tennis have been put on hold since March due to the on-going coronavirus pandemic.

Government will decide on spectators at French Open: Federation president Bernard Giudicelli

Roland Garros chiefs insisted on Wednesday the French Open, delayed until September due to the coronavirus pandemic, will have fans attending even if they still have to abide by social distancing rules.

The claycourt Grand Slam, which should now have been into its first week under its traditional schedule, was pushed back by four months because of the outbreak.

However, tickets bought for the event in its May-June slot were reimbursed rather than transferred, prompting fears the tournament, now due to start on September 20, would be played behind closed doors.

"In the autumn, we will play Roland Garros with an optimum spectator capacity which allows fans to respect social distancing," Jean-Francois Vilotte, the director-general of the French Tennis Federation (FFT), told AFP.

A working group has already been created consisting of the ministries of sports and foreign affairs as well as Roland Garros officials and health bodies.

"The aim is that there will be spectators but we will have the capacity to organise Roland Garros whatever the option decided, including behind closed doors."

For the players, "the prize money is very important" as is the eco-system of tennis in France for which Roland Garros accounts for 80% of revenue.

If fans are to be welcome at the rescheduled tournament, then tickets would have to go on resale.

"We have set ourselves a deadline (for resale) ... but you will not know it," added Vilotte.&nbsp;

"It will be an exceptional tournament anyway," he said, adding the organisation was working on holding a "postponed tournament" and not a "downgraded" version.

<h2>- 'Roof baptised' -</h2>

In other words, juniors, singles, doubles and wheelchair tennis events will still be staged.

International tennis has been suspended globally since mid-March while Wimbledon was cancelled for the first time since World War II.

The US Open in New York, due to start on August 24, is still under a cloud with organisers due to decide its fate in mid-June.

Officials in Paris have played down hosting a Grand Slam outdoors in a European autumn.

They point to Roland Garros having eight floodlit courts, including all three showpiece arenas -- Philippe Chatrier, Suzanne Lenglen and Simonne Mathieu.

"The point is not to schedule matches late at night but to finish the matches started," said Vilotte, pointing out that night sessions will not start until the 2021 edition when the tournament slips back into its usual May-June home.

The risk of rain is greater in the autumn in Paris.&nbsp;

However, the Philippe Chatrier court at Roland Garros now has a roof, bringing the tournament into line with the other three majors.

"From the start, the objective was to respect the outdoor nature of the tournament," said Vilotte.

"It is not a closed court, contrary to what exists at Wimbledon, at the Australian Open and even at the US Open where the roofs hermetically seal the stadiums to air condition them."&nbsp;

The new roof on Chatrier has 11 metal and canvas sections, weighing 350 tons each for a total area of 10,000 square metres.

It can cover the sport's most famous clay court in 15 minutes, while allowing air to pass through the sides.&nbsp;

The efficiency of the roof, which cost 55 million euros ($60.45 million), was tested during torrential rains that lashed Paris a few weeks ago.&nbsp;

"It was baptised," said Vilotte. "The roof was absolutely not affected by these rains and the water drainage channels worked without any of them overflowing."

The Suzanne Lenglen court will also have a roof installed in time for the 2024 Olympic Games.

Roland Garros chiefs insisted on Wednesday the French Open, delayed until September due to the coronavirus pandemic, will have fans attending even if they still have to abide by social distancing rules.

Roland Garros chiefs insisted on Wednesday the French Open, delayed until September due to the coronavirus pandemic, will have fans attending even if they still have to abide by social distancing rules. The claycourt Grand Slam, which should now have been into its first week under its traditional schedule, was pushed back by four months because of the outbreak. However, tickets bought for the event in its May-June slot were reimbursed rather than transferred, prompting fears the tournament, now due to start on September 20, would be played behind closed doors. "In the autumn, we will play Roland Garros with an optimum spectator capacity which allows fans to respect social distancing," Jean-Francois Vilotte, the director-general of the French Tennis Federation (FFT), told AFP. A working group has already been created consisting of the ministries of sports and foreign affairs as well as Roland Garros officials and health bodies. "The aim is that there will be spectators but we will have the capacity to organise Roland Garros whatever the option decided, including behind closed doors." For the players, "the prize money is very important" as is the eco-system of tennis in France for which Roland Garros accounts for 80% of revenue. If fans are to be welcome at the rescheduled tournament, then tickets would have to go on resale. "We have set ourselves a deadline (for resale) ... but you will not know it," added Vilotte. "It will be an exceptional tournament anyway," he said, adding the organisation was working on holding a "postponed tournament" and not a "downgraded" version. - 'Roof baptised' - In other words, juniors, singles, doubles and wheelchair tennis events will still be staged. International tennis has been suspended globally since mid-March while Wimbledon was cancelled for the first time since World War II. The US Open in New York, due to start on August 24, is still under a cloud with organisers due to decide its fate in mid-June. Officials in Paris have played down hosting a Grand Slam outdoors in a European autumn. They point to Roland Garros having eight floodlit courts, including all three showpiece arenas -- Philippe Chatrier, Suzanne Lenglen and Simonne Mathieu. "The point is not to schedule matches late at night but to finish the matches started," said Vilotte, pointing out that night sessions will not start until the 2021 edition when the tournament slips back into its usual May-June home. The risk of rain is greater in the autumn in Paris. However, the Philippe Chatrier court at Roland Garros now has a roof, bringing the tournament into line with the other three majors. "From the start, the objective was to respect the outdoor nature of the tournament," said Vilotte. "It is not a closed court, contrary to what exists at Wimbledon, at the Australian Open and even at the US Open where the roofs hermetically seal the stadiums to air condition them." The new roof on Chatrier has 11 metal and canvas sections, weighing 350 tons each for a total area of 10,000 square metres. It can cover the sport's most famous clay court in 15 minutes, while allowing air to pass through the sides. The efficiency of the roof, which cost 55 million euros ($60.45 million), was tested during torrential rains that lashed Paris a few weeks ago. "It was baptised," said Vilotte. "The roof was absolutely not affected by these rains and the water drainage channels worked without any of them overflowing." The Suzanne Lenglen court will also have a roof installed in time for the 2024 Olympic Games.

Roland Garros planning for fans not empty seats

French Open organisers are in talks with tennis' governing bodies to adjust the season calendar. These talks are being held amid reports that the French Grand Slam could be postponed by at least a week due to the coronavirus pandemic.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/coronavirus-tennis-relief-fund-raises-6-million-297012" hreflang="en">Coronavirus: Tennis relief fund raises $6 million</a>

"We took the decision in mid-March to postpone Roland Garros from September 20 to October 4. Since then, we have been discussing with the international bodies of the various circuits (International Tennis Federation, WTA, ATP) the optimum calendar for the second part of the season, which will be finalised with the various stakeholders very soon," a French tennis federation (FFT) spokesman told Reuters on Tuesday.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bullish-market-in-nikes-michael-jordan-sneakers-after-the-blockbuster-series-release-online-296987" hreflang="en">Bullish market in Nike’s Michael Jordan sneakers after the blockbuster series release online</a>

The reports of the Grand Slam being postponed by a week were reported by French newspaper Le Parisien and tennis website tennis.com. They suggested that the play could begin a week later that is September 27.&nbsp;

This decision might come as the organizers were criticised for postponing the French Open without any suggestions which led to a cramped up schedule as the dates neared US Open. But if French Open is postponed by a week, it could give players a two-week rest between the tournaments.&nbsp;

French Open organisers are in talks with tennis' governing bodies to adjust the season calendar. These talks are being held amid reports that the French Grand Slam could be postponed by at least a week due to the coronavirus pandemic.

French Open organisers are in talks with tennis' governing bodies to adjust the season calendar. These talks are being held amid reports that the French Grand Slam could be postponed by at least a week due to the coronavirus pandemic. Also read: Coronavirus: Tennis relief fund raises $6 million "We took the decision in mid-March to postpone Roland Garros from September 20 to October 4. Since then, we have been discussing with the international bodies of the various circuits (International Tennis Federation, WTA, ATP) the optimum calendar for the second part of the season, which will be finalised with the various stakeholders very soon," a French tennis federation (FFT) spokesman told Reuters on Tuesday. Also read: Bullish market in Nike’s Michael Jordan sneakers after the blockbuster series release online The reports of the Grand Slam being postponed by a week were reported by French newspaper Le Parisien and tennis website tennis.com. They suggested that the play could begin a week later that is September 27. This decision might come as the organizers were criticised for postponing the French Open without any suggestions which led to a cramped up schedule as the dates neared US Open. But if French Open is postponed by a week, it could give players a two-week rest between the tournaments.

French Open might be rescheduled after talks with tennis' governing body

Andy&nbsp;Murray&nbsp;has said that he would "definitely" play in the rescheduled French Open in September, if it is able to take place as planned.

The tennis season has been shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic since last month and will not resume until mid-July at the earliest.

Wimbledon has been cancelled and Roland Garros organisers controversially moved the French Open until September 20-October 4, starting just a week after the end of the US Open, from its usual start date in May.

"I'd definitely play on the clay, if it goes ahead," former world number one&nbsp;Murray&nbsp;told CNN.

"I'm a bit sceptical whether it will. I would imagine tennis would be one of the last sports to get back to normality because you've obviously got players, coaches and teams coming from all over the world into one area.

"I'd be surprised if they're back playing sport by September time, but we'll see."

Murray&nbsp;had been due to return from a hip injury at the Miami Open last month.

The 32-year-old Scot had considered retiring before surgery allowed him to make an initial comeback from injury last year, winning his first ATP title since 2017 in Antwerp last October.

"I was training to get ready for that and that was going to be a good test. I was fit and feeling pretty strong,"&nbsp;Murray, currently ranked 129th in the world, said.

Tennis chiefs said this week they were launching a relief programme would be launched to help lower-ranked players financially during the lockdown.

"Players ranked 250-300 in the world, it's going to be really, really challenging for them," added three-time Grand Slam champion&nbsp;Murray.

"And I think in the last few years, there has been some improvements and some changes, but probably not enough.

"Sometimes you see the prize money cheque for the winner of the Grand Slams. And it's... something like $4 million. Could that money be used better and spent elsewhere in the earlier rounds or the qualifying draws or maybe used to grow some of the smaller events?"

Andy Murray has said that he would "definitely" play in the rescheduled French Open in September, if it is able to take place as planned. The tennis season has been shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic since last month and will not resume until mid-July at the earliest.

Andy Murray has said that he would "definitely" play in the rescheduled French Open in September, if it is able to take place as planned. The tennis season has been shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic since last month and will not resume until mid-July at the earliest. Wimbledon has been cancelled and Roland Garros organisers controversially moved the French Open until September 20-October 4, starting just a week after the end of the US Open, from its usual start date in May. "I'd definitely play on the clay, if it goes ahead," former world number one Murray told CNN. "I'm a bit sceptical whether it will. I would imagine tennis would be one of the last sports to get back to normality because you've obviously got players, coaches and teams coming from all over the world into one area. "I'd be surprised if they're back playing sport by September time, but we'll see." Murray had been due to return from a hip injury at the Miami Open last month. The 32-year-old Scot had considered retiring before surgery allowed him to make an initial comeback from injury last year, winning his first ATP title since 2017 in Antwerp last October. "I was training to get ready for that and that was going to be a good test. I was fit and feeling pretty strong," Murray, currently ranked 129th in the world, said. Tennis chiefs said this week they were launching a relief programme would be launched to help lower-ranked players financially during the lockdown. "Players ranked 250-300 in the world, it's going to be really, really challenging for them," added three-time Grand Slam champion Murray. "And I think in the last few years, there has been some improvements and some changes, but probably not enough. "Sometimes you see the prize money cheque for the winner of the Grand Slams. And it's... something like $4 million. Could that money be used better and spent elsewhere in the earlier rounds or the qualifying draws or maybe used to grow some of the smaller events?"

Murray 'would play' September French Open, if it goes ahead

French Open's decision to rescheduling their tennis season and postponing it to September amid the coronavirus outbreak received massive backlash as the organisers faced criticism.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/french-open-2020-postponed-to-september-due-to-coronavirus-pandemic-287163" hreflang="en">French Open 2020 postponed to September due to coronavirus pandemic</a>

Some players and tour organisers have slammed French Open's decision-making committee as the rescheduling without their consultation.

The French Open 2020, which was scheduled to be held from May 24 to June 7, has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic and will now take place from September 20 to October 4.

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Roland-Garros' new dates created a stir as the season will begin just four days after US Open 2020 (though there are chances that the US Open could be postponed due to the global pandemic). The biggest issue for Roland-Garros will be the availability of star players.&nbsp;

Tennis player Vasek Pospisil who is also a member of the ATP player council told the New York Times that the decision "come(s) literally out of the blue" for the tour.

The Canadian tennis ace went on to express his anger calling the decision "insane" and said: "These are rough times, unprecedented times, and this just goes against the whole idea of the tour working together. We have a calendar.

"We have discussions and negotiations between the grand slams and the ATP. We are always trying to make it work for everybody, and they just haven't consulted the ATP, the players or the other tournaments.

"It's just a very selfish move. They are basically doing a power play right now, and it's quite arrogant."

Naomi Osaka took to twitter to question French Open for their decision:

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excusez moi??? <a href="https://t.co/kb5wi27dRc">https://t.co/kb5wi27dRc</a>
— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) <a href="https://twitter.com/naomiosaka/status/1239944990215655424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The French Open 2020 will collide with some tournaments including the Laver Cup where Roger Federer has already committed his presence. 
&nbsp;

French Open's decision to rescheduling their tennis season and postponing it to September amid the coronavirus outbreak received massive backlash as the organisers faced criticism.

French Open's decision to rescheduling their tennis season and postponing it to September amid the coronavirus outbreak received massive backlash as the organisers faced criticism. Also read: French Open 2020 postponed to September due to coronavirus pandemic Some players and tour organisers have slammed French Open's decision-making committee as the rescheduling without their consultation. The French Open 2020, which was scheduled to be held from May 24 to June 7, has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic and will now take place from September 20 to October 4. × Roland-Garros' new dates created a stir as the season will begin just four days after US Open 2020 (though there are chances that the US Open could be postponed due to the global pandemic). The biggest issue for Roland-Garros will be the availability of star players. Tennis player Vasek Pospisil who is also a member of the ATP player council told the New York Times that the decision "come(s) literally out of the blue" for the tour. The Canadian tennis ace went on to express his anger calling the decision "insane" and said: "These are rough times, unprecedented times, and this just goes against the whole idea of the tour working together. We have a calendar. "We have discussions and negotiations between the grand slams and the ATP. We are always trying to make it work for everybody, and they just haven't consulted the ATP, the players or the other tournaments. "It's just a very selfish move. They are basically doing a power play right now, and it's quite arrogant." Naomi Osaka took to twitter to question French Open for their decision: excusez moi??? https://t.co/kb5wi27dRc — NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) March 17, 2020 × The French Open 2020 will collide with some tournaments including the Laver Cup where Roger Federer has already committed his presence.

Players slam French Open for rescheduling event without consulting them

Roger&nbsp;Federer&nbsp;has undergone surgery to resolve a longstanding knee problem and said Thursday he would be out of action until after the French Open while his rivals backed the 38-year-old to return as strong as ever.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../tennis-federer-nadal-play-to-record-crowd-in- cape-town-279367">Tennis: Federer, Nadal play to record crowd in Cape Town</a>

The 20-times Grand Slam winner revealed on his Facebook account that he underwent surgery in Switzerland on Wednesday and would miss a string of tournaments including the May 24-June 7 French Open.

"As a result, I will miss Dubai, Indian Wells, Bogota, Miami and the French Open," he said.

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Federer, who has amassed 103 career titles, explained that he had intended to avoid surgery if possible but the problem in his right knee refused to go away.

He will now target a return for the grass-court season and an assault on a ninth Wimbledon title after reaching the final in 2019 where he had two championship points before losing an epic final to Novak Djokovic.

"My right knee has been bothering me for a little while," added the world number three who reached the Roland Garros semi-finals last year.

"I hoped it would go away, but after an examination and discussion with my team, I decided to have arthroscopic surgery in Switzerland yesterday."

"After the surgery, the doctors confirmed that it was the right thing to have done and are very confident of a full recovery.

"I can't wait to be back playing again soon -- see you on the grass."

Federer, French Open champion back in 2009, will miss Roland Garros for the fourth time in five seasons.

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🤹‍♂️🥁🚀🏟 
Speechless 😶 <a href="https://t.co/oI3YSR7eLd">pic.twitter.com/oI3YSR7eLd</a>
— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) <a href="https://twitter.com/rogerfederer/status/1225686182681444353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2020</a></blockquote>
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His absence from Paris means his great rival Rafael Nadal, the 12-time champion, can draw level with the Swiss on 20 majors.

Federer&nbsp;also underwent surgery on his left knee in February 2016 which allowed him just seven tournaments that season.

However, that surgery-enforced absence eventually paid dividends with another Australian Open title and then Wimbledon six months later.

He has only played one tournament in 2020, making the semi-finals of the Australian Open where he was defeated again by eventual champion Djokovic.

His last appearance on a court was an exhibition event in Cape Town earlier this month where his charity match with Nadal was played in front of 50,000 spectators, a world record for a tennis event.

This year's Wimbledon runs from June 29-July 12 with the Tokyo Olympics tennis event following from July 25-August 2.

Federer&nbsp;has yet to win a singles gold medal at the Games.

He was a silver medallist in London 2012 while, four years earlier in Beijing, he won the doubles title with Swiss teammate Stan Wawrinka.

Federer's decision to skip the French Open was met with understanding by organisers.

"We are disappointed not to see&nbsp;Roger&nbsp;again," tournament director Guy Forget told France Info.&nbsp;

"If he had taken this decision, then it was the wisest."

Russian world number five Daniil Medvedev said it was sad to see&nbsp;Federer&nbsp;forced to sit out the US hardcourt and European clay-court seasons.

"The news shocked me. I didn't know he was going to have an operation," &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; said Medvedev who is the top seed at the ongoing Marseille ATP event this week.

"It's a little sad for him in the sense that he misses tournaments when he is still playing well. I'm sure he's going to come back well at the grass-court season.

Fellow veteran Gilles Simon, who played&nbsp;Federer&nbsp;for the first time 12 years ago, said the great Swiss will be a serious contender on his return.

"The last time it was hard but he still won the Australian Open in his stride after not playing for nine months!" said the 35-year-old Simon.&nbsp;

"There's nothing else to say. We'll wait and see."

Roger Federer has undergone surgery to resolve a longstanding knee problem and said Thursday he would be out of action until after the French Open while his rivals backed the 38-year-old to return as strong as ever.

Roger Federer has undergone surgery to resolve a longstanding knee problem and said Thursday he would be out of action until after the French Open while his rivals backed the 38-year-old to return as strong as ever. Also read: Tennis: Federer, Nadal play to record crowd in Cape Town The 20-times Grand Slam winner revealed on his Facebook account that he underwent surgery in Switzerland on Wednesday and would miss a string of tournaments including the May 24-June 7 French Open. "As a result, I will miss Dubai, Indian Wells, Bogota, Miami and the French Open," he said. pic.twitter.com/VVGI1o8XYZ — Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) February 20, 2020 × Federer, who has amassed 103 career titles, explained that he had intended to avoid surgery if possible but the problem in his right knee refused to go away. He will now target a return for the grass-court season and an assault on a ninth Wimbledon title after reaching the final in 2019 where he had two championship points before losing an epic final to Novak Djokovic. "My right knee has been bothering me for a little while," added the world number three who reached the Roland Garros semi-finals last year. "I hoped it would go away, but after an examination and discussion with my team, I decided to have arthroscopic surgery in Switzerland yesterday." "After the surgery, the doctors confirmed that it was the right thing to have done and are very confident of a full recovery. "I can't wait to be back playing again soon -- see you on the grass." Federer, French Open champion back in 2009, will miss Roland Garros for the fourth time in five seasons. 🤹‍♂️🥁🚀🏟 Speechless 😶 pic.twitter.com/oI3YSR7eLd — Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) February 7, 2020 × His absence from Paris means his great rival Rafael Nadal, the 12-time champion, can draw level with the Swiss on 20 majors. Federer also underwent surgery on his left knee in February 2016 which allowed him just seven tournaments that season. However, that surgery-enforced absence eventually paid dividends with another Australian Open title and then Wimbledon six months later. He has only played one tournament in 2020, making the semi-finals of the Australian Open where he was defeated again by eventual champion Djokovic. His last appearance on a court was an exhibition event in Cape Town earlier this month where his charity match with Nadal was played in front of 50,000 spectators, a world record for a tennis event. This year's Wimbledon runs from June 29-July 12 with the Tokyo Olympics tennis event following from July 25-August 2. Federer has yet to win a singles gold medal at the Games. He was a silver medallist in London 2012 while, four years earlier in Beijing, he won the doubles title with Swiss teammate Stan Wawrinka. Federer's decision to skip the French Open was met with understanding by organisers. "We are disappointed not to see Roger again," tournament director Guy Forget told France Info. "If he had taken this decision, then it was the wisest." Russian world number five Daniil Medvedev said it was sad to see Federer forced to sit out the US hardcourt and European clay-court seasons. "The news shocked me. I didn't know he was going to have an operation," said Medvedev who is the top seed at the ongoing Marseille ATP event this week. "It's a little sad for him in the sense that he misses tournaments when he is still playing well. I'm sure he's going to come back well at the grass-court season. Fellow veteran Gilles Simon, who played Federer for the first time 12 years ago, said the great Swiss will be a serious contender on his return. "The last time it was hard but he still won the Australian Open in his stride after not playing for nine months!" said the 35-year-old Simon. "There's nothing else to say. We'll wait and see."

Roger Federer targets Wimbledon after knee surgery blow

Andy Murray battled past Romanian qualifier Marius Copil 6-3 6-7(7) 6-4 at the European Open in Antwerp on Friday to reach his first singles semi-final in two years.

The Briton, back on the ATP Tour after a career-saving hip resurfacing operation in January, was on course for a straight-sets victory but Copil was determined to test his opponent's resolve and clawed his way back to force a third set.

Murray came through with flying colours, converting five out of 14 breakpoints and winning 87 per cent&nbsp;of points on his first serve in the match that lasted two hours and 35 minutes to reach his first singles semi-finals since the French Open in 2017.

Up next for the 32-year-old is Guido Pella or Ugo Humbert who were in action in the other quarter-final.

After cruising through the first set, three-times Grand Slam champion Murray raced ahead 3-1 in the second before suffering a lapse in concentration while serving for the match at 5-3.

A double fault by the Briton handed Copil the break and the Romanian took full advantage to drag the contest into a decider after edging the second set in a tiebreak.

The pair were locked at 4-4 in the final set before Murray switched gears to close out the victory in style, finishing it off with his ninth ace.

"I haven't played loads of matches the past few years, so when you get to the end of the match, it's always difficult to serve it out," Murray said in a courtside interview.

"I played a bad game at 5-3 in the second set and after that, I think he gained a lot of confidence. He served extremely well.

"He was being a lot more aggressive at the end of the second set and in the third, but thankfully I managed to get the break right at the end. It was a tough one to get through."

Earlier, Swiss Stan Wawrinka wasted a match point in the second set before outlasting Gilles Simon 6-3 6-7(6) 6-2 to reach his first semi-final since February.

In the last hour, he plays Italian Jannik Sinner in a rematch of their US&nbsp;Open first-round meeting earlier this year after the talented 18-year-old defeated American Frances Tiafoe 6-4 3-6 6-3.

Andy Murray battled past Romanian qualifier Marius Copil 6-3 6-7(7) 6-4 at the European Open in Antwerp on Friday to reach his first singles semi-final in two years.

Andy Murray battled past Romanian qualifier Marius Copil 6-3 6-7(7) 6-4 at the European Open in Antwerp on Friday to reach his first singles semi-final in two years. The Briton, back on the ATP Tour after a career-saving hip resurfacing operation in January, was on course for a straight-sets victory but Copil was determined to test his opponent's resolve and clawed his way back to force a third set. Murray came through with flying colours, converting five out of 14 breakpoints and winning 87 per cent of points on his first serve in the match that lasted two hours and 35 minutes to reach his first singles semi-finals since the French Open in 2017. Up next for the 32-year-old is Guido Pella or Ugo Humbert who were in action in the other quarter-final. After cruising through the first set, three-times Grand Slam champion Murray raced ahead 3-1 in the second before suffering a lapse in concentration while serving for the match at 5-3. A double fault by the Briton handed Copil the break and the Romanian took full advantage to drag the contest into a decider after edging the second set in a tiebreak. The pair were locked at 4-4 in the final set before Murray switched gears to close out the victory in style, finishing it off with his ninth ace. "I haven't played loads of matches the past few years, so when you get to the end of the match, it's always difficult to serve it out," Murray said in a courtside interview. "I played a bad game at 5-3 in the second set and after that, I think he gained a lot of confidence. He served extremely well. "He was being a lot more aggressive at the end of the second set and in the third, but thankfully I managed to get the break right at the end. It was a tough one to get through." Earlier, Swiss Stan Wawrinka wasted a match point in the second set before outlasting Gilles Simon 6-3 6-7(6) 6-2 to reach his first semi-final since February. In the last hour, he plays Italian Jannik Sinner in a rematch of their US Open first-round meeting earlier this year after the talented 18-year-old defeated American Frances Tiafoe 6-4 3-6 6-3.

Andy Murray shines in Antwerp to reach first semi-final in two years

Kim Clijsters, 36, makes comeback in era dominated by teens

If being world number one brings the burden of pressure and expectation then somebody should tell Ash Barty, who began her first Grand Slam at the summit of the women's game at Wimbledon on Tuesday and loved every minute of it.

Being at the top of the women's rankings has become something of a poisoned chalice in recent years, with the position changing hands 10 times since the start of 2017 between eight different occupants.

The most recent holder before <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-cricketer-to-grand-slam-winner-ashleigh-bartys-journey-is-inspiring-225626&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjc0JeYmpjjAhWIvI8KHRC5AJ4QFjABegQIEBAB&amp;usg=AOvVaw39bQuMwziWa8n3UfQXoq7O">Barty</a>, Naomi Osaka, admitted the pressure of being number one had caused headaches and fatigue while the stress was "way more" than she could have imagined.

The extent to which her game had plummeted from the heights of her two Grand Slam title successes at the US&nbsp;and Australian Opens was laid bare when she exited Wimbledon meekly in the first round on Monday.

It was refreshing, therefore, to hear Barty embrace the so-called "burden" of being the world's best player with such enthusiasm as she waltzed into the second round at the All England Club with a 6-4, 6-2 win over China's Zheng Saisai.

"I think for me it's a little bit irrelevant," she said about being number one.

"The only pressure I have is what I put on myself, making sure I'm doing all the right things, preparing in the right way. Ultimately when we play our matches, we go out there and enjoy it ... just play each match as it comes. There's certainly no extra stresses on any match," Barty said.

Her express-train run to the top of the women's game certainly showed no sign of slowing on Court One as Zheng was dispatched comfortably.

The Australian, who followed up her <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/ashleigh-barty-defeats-marketa-vondrousova-to-win-french-open-title-225535&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjc0JeYmpjjAhWIvI8KHRC5AJ4QFjAFegQIBhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0X8OBVGmF72q-p4HHjbnqX">French Open</a> triumph last month by winning in Birmingham, sealed a 13th straight win in a brisk hour and 16 minutes, battling through the first set before easing through the second.

Barty has never been past the third round at Wimbledon, but her game is well-suited to the slick grass courts and she looks well-placed to challenge for a second Grand Slam title.

The 23-year-old will certainly have to overcome tougher challenges than the 43rd-ranked Zheng if she is to lift the trophy next Saturday.

She could face defending champion <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wimbledon-defending-champion-angelique-kerber-outclasses-tricky-compatriot-232606">Angelique Kerber</a> or seven-times winner Serena Williams in the quarter-finals while twice champion Petra Kvitova is a potential obstacle in the semi-final.

Zheng, however, was no match for the Australian who started the 2017 season ranked 271 in singles and whose remarkable career has also included a successful sabbatical playing cricket for Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League.

Barty and Zheng had played each other three times previously, with Barty winning on each occasion and, apart from a brief wobble in the first set when she allowed the Chinese to claw back from 3-0 down to 3-3, it was plain sailing.

She broke early in the second set and again in the eighth game to wrap up victory, volleying the winner before saluting a warmly appreciative crowd.

If being world number one brings the burden of pressure and expectation then somebody should tell Ash Barty, who began her first Grand Slam at the summit of the women's game at Wimbledon on Tuesday and loved every minute of it.

If being world number one brings the burden of pressure and expectation then somebody should tell Ash Barty, who began her first Grand Slam at the summit of the women's game at Wimbledon on Tuesday and loved every minute of it. Being at the top of the women's rankings has become something of a poisoned chalice in recent years, with the position changing hands 10 times since the start of 2017 between eight different occupants. The most recent holder before Barty, Naomi Osaka, admitted the pressure of being number one had caused headaches and fatigue while the stress was "way more" than she could have imagined. The extent to which her game had plummeted from the heights of her two Grand Slam title successes at the US and Australian Opens was laid bare when she exited Wimbledon meekly in the first round on Monday. It was refreshing, therefore, to hear Barty embrace the so-called "burden" of being the world's best player with such enthusiasm as she waltzed into the second round at the All England Club with a 6-4, 6-2 win over China's Zheng Saisai. "I think for me it's a little bit irrelevant," she said about being number one. "The only pressure I have is what I put on myself, making sure I'm doing all the right things, preparing in the right way. Ultimately when we play our matches, we go out there and enjoy it ... just play each match as it comes. There's certainly no extra stresses on any match," Barty said. Her express-train run to the top of the women's game certainly showed no sign of slowing on Court One as Zheng was dispatched comfortably. The Australian, who followed up her French Open triumph last month by winning in Birmingham, sealed a 13th straight win in a brisk hour and 16 minutes, battling through the first set before easing through the second. Barty has never been past the third round at Wimbledon, but her game is well-suited to the slick grass courts and she looks well-placed to challenge for a second Grand Slam title. The 23-year-old will certainly have to overcome tougher challenges than the 43rd-ranked Zheng if she is to lift the trophy next Saturday. She could face defending champion Angelique Kerber or seven-times winner Serena Williams in the quarter-finals while twice champion Petra Kvitova is a potential obstacle in the semi-final. Zheng, however, was no match for the Australian who started the 2017 season ranked 271 in singles and whose remarkable career has also included a successful sabbatical playing cricket for Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League. Barty and Zheng had played each other three times previously, with Barty winning on each occasion and, apart from a brief wobble in the first set when she allowed the Chinese to claw back from 3-0 down to 3-3, it was plain sailing. She broke early in the second set and again in the eighth game to wrap up victory, volleying the winner before saluting a warmly appreciative crowd.

Wimbledon: Ashleigh Barty embraces number one tag, cruises into second round

Cori Gauff became the youngest player in the professional era to survive the Wimbledon qualifying draw on Thursday as the 15-year-old American thrashed Belgium's Greet Minnen 6-1, 6-1 to seal her place in next week's main draw.

Gauff, who is combining her practice sessions with her schoolwork, looked like a seasoned grasscourt player as she claimed her a third successive straight-sets victory.

"I knew I was the underdog and I was just enjoying it," Gauff, who says it would be a dream to play idols Serena or Venus Williams at <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/wimbledon-roger-federer-seeded-second-rafael-nadal-drops-to-three-230601&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj-5smSxYvjAhWKMI8KHeFqAv0QFjAEegQIBRAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3l7uLiLFTymYDwlOAeYYAG">Wimbledon</a>, told reporters fresh from walking off court at Roehampton.

"<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/serena-williams-hopes-to-end-two-year-grand-slam-drought-at-wimbledon-230796&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwi3xq-ixYvjAhUL3Y8KHf7UCjEQFjAFegQIChAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1VKpdZVsgjfg5BjDaUZt4P">Serena </a>is the reason why I play tennis and why my dad decided to get me a racket,'' Gauff said.

"Obviously, I don't care who I play I'm just happy to be in the draw but I would love to share the court with Serena. If I played any one of them it would be a dream come true," she added.

Gauff, who won the French Open junior title in 2018, was given a wildcard into the Wimbledon qualifying event and took advantage in spectacular fashion.&nbsp;

She will be the first 15-year-old in the main draw since Britain's Laura Robson in 2009.

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Remember the name. 
 
Aged 15 years and 122 days, America’s <a href="https://twitter.com/CocoGauff?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CocoGauff</a> becomes the youngest <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Wimbledon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Wimbledon</a> qualifier in the Open Era after beating Greet Minnen 6-1, 6-1 <a href="https://t.co/PSWlOiRNkB">pic.twitter.com/PSWlOiRNkB</a>
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"I had no expectations really. I feel really blessed. My parents never put any limitations on my goals and told my to shoot as high as I can," Gauff said.

Cori Gauff became the youngest player in the professional era to survive the Wimbledon qualifying draw on Thursday as the 15-year-old American thrashed Belgium's Greet Minnen 6-1, 6-1 to seal her place in next week's main draw.

Cori Gauff became the youngest player in the professional era to survive the Wimbledon qualifying draw on Thursday as the 15-year-old American thrashed Belgium's Greet Minnen 6-1, 6-1 to seal her place in next week's main draw. Gauff, who is combining her practice sessions with her schoolwork, looked like a seasoned grasscourt player as she claimed her a third successive straight-sets victory. "I knew I was the underdog and I was just enjoying it," Gauff, who says it would be a dream to play idols Serena or Venus Williams at Wimbledon, told reporters fresh from walking off court at Roehampton. "Serena is the reason why I play tennis and why my dad decided to get me a racket,'' Gauff said. "Obviously, I don't care who I play I'm just happy to be in the draw but I would love to share the court with Serena. If I played any one of them it would be a dream come true," she added. Gauff, who won the French Open junior title in 2018, was given a wildcard into the Wimbledon qualifying event and took advantage in spectacular fashion. She will be the first 15-year-old in the main draw since Britain's Laura Robson in 2009. Remember the name. Aged 15 years and 122 days, America’s @CocoGauff becomes the youngest #Wimbledon qualifier in the Open Era after beating Greet Minnen 6-1, 6-1 pic.twitter.com/PSWlOiRNkB — Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 27, 2019 × "I had no expectations really. I feel really blessed. My parents never put any limitations on my goals and told my to shoot as high as I can," Gauff said.

Cori Gauff, 15-year old American qualifies for Wimbledon

Spaniard Rafael Nadal got a quickfire reminder of the challenge he faces to win a third Wimbledon title as he was blown away by big-serving Marin Cilic in an exhibition match on Wednesday.

Nadal, who turned 33 this month, has opted not to play any competitive tournaments on grass ahead of the Championships, practising instead at home on grass in Mallorca.

He lacked sharpness at the Hurlingham Club in London as a well-drilled Cilic sent him packing in less than an hour -&nbsp;a sweating Nadal going straight from court to a waiting black Rolls Royce and away minutes after his 6-3, 6-3 defeat.

"This was the first time that I played points and that was too much for me today," Nadal, who won a record-extending 12th French Open title earlier this month, said on the court at the Aspall Tennis Classic alongside the Thames.

"I'm excited to be back at Wimbledon. This type of match today helps to try to be ready. Of course, I decided not to play a tournament before Wimbledon, I'm 33 so I need to save energy. I will just try to improve a little bit every single day and on Friday I have will try to be a bit better," Nadal said.

Nadal, who won Wimbledon in 2008 and 2010, reached the semi-final last year at the All England Club but had struggled in his previous five appearances at the event.

That was reflected in Wednesday's seedings which put Nadal, the world number two, at three, behind eight-time champion <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/wimbledon-roger-federer-seeded-second-rafael-nadal-drops-to-three-230601&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwimu-m_gYnjAhUHuY8KHSBqBjsQFjACegQIEBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3UdZGNZdVE4boJeQVRI0yj">Roger Federer</a> who was bumped up one place from his ranking.

Cilic benefited from Wimbledon's unique seeding system and will be 13th -&nbsp;up five from his ATP ranking of 18.

While Wednesday's match was not an official one he showed exactly why he will be a threat with his hefty serve and forehand giving Nadal little opportunity to get his teeth into any rallies longer than three or four strokes.

Nadal has been <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/rafael-nadal-says-wimbledons-seedings-system-not-a-good-thing-230352&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiw0JingYnjAhWLP48KHfdHAzcQFjAAegQIARAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2bdnu0By66rlLIT8eyFl-V">critical of Wimbledon's seeding</a> reflecting grasscourt results for the past two years, but Cilic, the runner-up in 2017, was certainly not complaining.

"I think they have been doing it for years. I've moved into the 13 to 16 group so that definitely helps me avoid higher seeds before the fourth round," he told Reuters.

"There are positives and negatives about it. The grass is not as it was in the past when the claycourters struggled to go through one or two rounds at Wimbledon, it's more playable. If you see the top 32 these days they all play well on every surface so I guess you could just stay with the rankings," Cilic said.

Nadal will practise at Wimbledon on Thursday before returning to Hurlingham for another match on Friday.

Spaniard Rafael Nadal got a quickfire reminder of the challenge he faces to win a third Wimbledon title as he was blown away by big-serving Marin Cilic in an exhibition match on Wednesday.

Spaniard Rafael Nadal got a quickfire reminder of the challenge he faces to win a third Wimbledon title as he was blown away by big-serving Marin Cilic in an exhibition match on Wednesday. Nadal, who turned 33 this month, has opted not to play any competitive tournaments on grass ahead of the Championships, practising instead at home on grass in Mallorca. He lacked sharpness at the Hurlingham Club in London as a well-drilled Cilic sent him packing in less than an hour - a sweating Nadal going straight from court to a waiting black Rolls Royce and away minutes after his 6-3, 6-3 defeat. "This was the first time that I played points and that was too much for me today," Nadal, who won a record-extending 12th French Open title earlier this month, said on the court at the Aspall Tennis Classic alongside the Thames. "I'm excited to be back at Wimbledon. This type of match today helps to try to be ready. Of course, I decided not to play a tournament before Wimbledon, I'm 33 so I need to save energy. I will just try to improve a little bit every single day and on Friday I have will try to be a bit better," Nadal said. Nadal, who won Wimbledon in 2008 and 2010, reached the semi-final last year at the All England Club but had struggled in his previous five appearances at the event. That was reflected in Wednesday's seedings which put Nadal, the world number two, at three, behind eight-time champion Roger Federer who was bumped up one place from his ranking. Cilic benefited from Wimbledon's unique seeding system and will be 13th - up five from his ATP ranking of 18. While Wednesday's match was not an official one he showed exactly why he will be a threat with his hefty serve and forehand giving Nadal little opportunity to get his teeth into any rallies longer than three or four strokes. Nadal has been critical of Wimbledon's seeding reflecting grasscourt results for the past two years, but Cilic, the runner-up in 2017, was certainly not complaining. "I think they have been doing it for years. I've moved into the 13 to 16 group so that definitely helps me avoid higher seeds before the fourth round," he told Reuters. "There are positives and negatives about it. The grass is not as it was in the past when the claycourters struggled to go through one or two rounds at Wimbledon, it's more playable. If you see the top 32 these days they all play well on every surface so I guess you could just stay with the rankings," Cilic said. Nadal will practise at Wimbledon on Thursday before returning to Hurlingham for another match on Friday.

Marin Cilic beats Rafael Nadal, gives him a Wimbledon reality check

Boris Becker auctions trophies to pay off debts

Ashleigh Barty will become the first Australian woman to be ranked world number one in more than 40 years if she beats her doubles partner Julia Goerges in the final of the Nature Valley Classic in Birmingham on Sunday.

The 23-year-old, fresh from her maiden Grand Slam triumph at the French Open, has not dropped a set all week and an 11th successive victory will see her displace Japan's Naomi Osaka in top spot and emulate Evonne Goolagong's feat from 1976.

Barty sent down 11 aces and fired 24 winners on Saturday to dispatch world number 51 Barbora Strycova from the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-4.

"I have to try and do what I can do and that is prepare and do as best that I can tomorrow and try and play a good tennis match and if I win, it's a bonus," said Barty, who is seeking her sixth WTA tour title at an event where she was runner-up to Petra Kvitova in 2017.

"There are all things that come with it. But those things are certainly not what I'm worried about. It is not going to change the way that I sleep at night, if I don't get there or not. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, it doesn't."

Should she win, Barty will join the select company as the only other female players to win the singles title at Roland Garros and their next event on British grass courts have been Serena Williams, Steffi Graf (four times), Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert and Margaret Court.

But Goerges has also hit rich form and beat Petra Martic 6-4, 6-3 in the other semi-final.

Barty and Goerges, who has yet to win a title on grass but last year reached the Wimbledon semi-finals, have a 1-1 head-to-head record but the Australian won their previous clash en route to claiming the Zhuhai crown last year.

If Barty loses the final, she will be two points short of catching Osaka – the smallest margin between the top two ranked players since WTA rankings began.

Ashleigh Barty will become the first Australian woman to be ranked world number one in more than 40 years if she beats her doubles partner Julia Goerges in the final of the Nature Valley Classic in Birmingham on Sunday.

Ashleigh Barty will become the first Australian woman to be ranked world number one in more than 40 years if she beats her doubles partner Julia Goerges in the final of the Nature Valley Classic in Birmingham on Sunday. The 23-year-old, fresh from her maiden Grand Slam triumph at the French Open, has not dropped a set all week and an 11th successive victory will see her displace Japan's Naomi Osaka in top spot and emulate Evonne Goolagong's feat from 1976. Barty sent down 11 aces and fired 24 winners on Saturday to dispatch world number 51 Barbora Strycova from the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-4. "I have to try and do what I can do and that is prepare and do as best that I can tomorrow and try and play a good tennis match and if I win, it's a bonus," said Barty, who is seeking her sixth WTA tour title at an event where she was runner-up to Petra Kvitova in 2017. "There are all things that come with it. But those things are certainly not what I'm worried about. It is not going to change the way that I sleep at night, if I don't get there or not. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, it doesn't." Should she win, Barty will join the select company as the only other female players to win the singles title at Roland Garros and their next event on British grass courts have been Serena Williams, Steffi Graf (four times), Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert and Margaret Court. But Goerges has also hit rich form and beat Petra Martic 6-4, 6-3 in the other semi-final. Barty and Goerges, who has yet to win a title on grass but last year reached the Wimbledon semi-finals, have a 1-1 head-to-head record but the Australian won their previous clash en route to claiming the Zhuhai crown last year. If Barty loses the final, she will be two points short of catching Osaka – the smallest margin between the top two ranked players since WTA rankings began.

Ashleigh Barty a win away from world number one

French Open champion Ashleigh Barty could become the first Australian woman to top the tennis rankings in more than 40 years if she wins the Nature Valley Classic in Birmingham following Naomi Osaka's second-round exit on Thursday.

<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-number-one-naomi-osaka-knocked-out-of-french-open-223471&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjf7eP_8fniAhXAy4sBHeJACmsQFjACegQIDxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3XNdInj77Vqsjjj_ADE1tz">Osaka</a>, who became world number one after winning the Australian Open, needed to reach the Birmingham final to guarantee she would stay ahead of Barty in the rankings but lost 6-2, 6-3 to Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva.

Barty made short work of Jennifer Brady, beating the American 6-3, 6-1 on Thursday to book her place in the quarter-finals and will become world number one if she goes on to win the tournament.

"The stars have aligned a little bit for me and I think when you get those opportunities you have to do your best to take them with both hands," the 23-year-old told reporters.

"That's what we have been able to do over the last month in particular but I feel like I'm comfortable in my own skin. I feel like I know exactly how I want to play in most matches, and it's just about going out there trying to execute as best I can," <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/ashleigh-barty-defeats-marketa-vondrousova-to-win-french-open-title-225535&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwi_srSN8vniAhUPIIgKHdMyAeIQFjAAegQIAhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0jFp9guShK0hE1HkspkQ95">Barty </a>said.

Evonne Goolagong Cawley was the last Australian woman to top the world rankings in 1976 and if Barty wants to emulate her idol, she will first have to get past five-times Wimbledon champion Venus Williams in Friday's quarter-final.

French Open champion Ashleigh Barty could become the first Australian woman to top the tennis rankings in more than 40 years if she wins the Nature Valley Classic in Birmingham following Naomi Osaka's second-round exit on Thursday.

French Open champion Ashleigh Barty could become the first Australian woman to top the tennis rankings in more than 40 years if she wins the Nature Valley Classic in Birmingham following Naomi Osaka's second-round exit on Thursday. Osaka, who became world number one after winning the Australian Open, needed to reach the Birmingham final to guarantee she would stay ahead of Barty in the rankings but lost 6-2, 6-3 to Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva. Barty made short work of Jennifer Brady, beating the American 6-3, 6-1 on Thursday to book her place in the quarter-finals and will become world number one if she goes on to win the tournament. "The stars have aligned a little bit for me and I think when you get those opportunities you have to do your best to take them with both hands," the 23-year-old told reporters. "That's what we have been able to do over the last month in particular but I feel like I'm comfortable in my own skin. I feel like I know exactly how I want to play in most matches, and it's just about going out there trying to execute as best I can," Barty said. Evonne Goolagong Cawley was the last Australian woman to top the world rankings in 1976 and if Barty wants to emulate her idol, she will first have to get past five-times Wimbledon champion Venus Williams in Friday's quarter-final.

Naomi Osaka's Birmingham exit gives Ashleigh Barty shot at number one

French Open champion <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/french-open-winner-rafael-nadal-still-lagging-novak-djokovic-in-rankings-226068&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjkoqr6q-PiAhUF_XMBHdeMD4IQFjAAegQIAhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3SAlPzJogU3thvR5xscZeo">Rafa Nadal</a> has said he nearly ended his season after being forced to withdraw from the Indian Wells semi-finals with a knee injury in March but played through the pain at Roland Garros to clinch a <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/rafael-nadal-win-french-open-title-225750&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjkoqr6q-PiAhUF_XMBHdeMD4IQFjAGegQIBhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2YljzKdQdHqMy4AJnjSLma">record-extending 12th title</a>.

Nadal conceded a walkover to Roger Federer at <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/del-potro-stuns-roger-federer-to-win-indian-wells-title-36291&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj7_u2NrOPiAhVB_XMBHRaZBLgQFjAHegQIBRAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1d2NVGmEcURONt_sfVxopc">Indian Wells</a> and skipped the Miami Open before returning to the tour for the clay season, where he lost three semi-finals in a row before winning titles in Rome and Paris.

"Mentally, after Indian Wells, I suffered a major downturn. I considered shutting down my season to see if my body would recuperate instead of playing through injury after injury," the Spaniard told the ATP website.

"Another option was to press on and play through the pain. Either way, the outlook was bleak. It required a change of mindset... and that doesn't happen overnight. I was reluctant and hesitant to return. Physically, because of another tendon tear in my knee, and on top of going through all the treatment required in the recovery process, there was dealing with the pain," Nadal said.

The 33-year-old said he had struggled to stay motivated because of the constant pain but had been determined to acquit himself well at Roland Garros.

"Between the level of pain and just being sidelined, there came a time when I just felt tired of all of this," he added. "I was sick of always being in pain.

"After Indian Wells, I took a moment to make sense of all of it... I promised myself that I would play through Roland Garros with the attitude and energy necessary to confront all obstacles in my way," Nadal said.

Nadal's French Open victory put him two Grand Slam titles behind Federer's all-time record of 20 and the Spaniard has announced his intention not to play again until Wimbledon, which begins on July 1.

French Open champion Rafa Nadal has said he nearly ended his season after being forced to withdraw from the Indian Wells semi-finals with a knee injury in March but played through the pain at Roland Garros to clinch a record-extending 12th title.

French Open champion Rafa Nadal has said he nearly ended his season after being forced to withdraw from the Indian Wells semi-finals with a knee injury in March but played through the pain at Roland Garros to clinch a record-extending 12th title. Nadal conceded a walkover to Roger Federer at Indian Wells and skipped the Miami Open before returning to the tour for the clay season, where he lost three semi-finals in a row before winning titles in Rome and Paris. "Mentally, after Indian Wells, I suffered a major downturn. I considered shutting down my season to see if my body would recuperate instead of playing through injury after injury," the Spaniard told the ATP website. "Another option was to press on and play through the pain. Either way, the outlook was bleak. It required a change of mindset... and that doesn't happen overnight. I was reluctant and hesitant to return. Physically, because of another tendon tear in my knee, and on top of going through all the treatment required in the recovery process, there was dealing with the pain," Nadal said. The 33-year-old said he had struggled to stay motivated because of the constant pain but had been determined to acquit himself well at Roland Garros. "Between the level of pain and just being sidelined, there came a time when I just felt tired of all of this," he added. "I was sick of always being in pain. "After Indian Wells, I took a moment to make sense of all of it... I promised myself that I would play through Roland Garros with the attitude and energy necessary to confront all obstacles in my way," Nadal said. Nadal's French Open victory put him two Grand Slam titles behind Federer's all-time record of 20 and the Spaniard has announced his intention not to play again until Wimbledon, which begins on July 1.

French Open champ Rafael Nadal considered ending season after Indian Wells injury

Austria's Dominic Thiem has extended an olive branch to Serena Williams after their <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/roger-federer-says-thiem-right-to-fume-over-serena-williams-press-conference-row-223698&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj44vCFouPiAhUS73MBHXanDe8QFjAEegQIEBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw29hYpjHTvzM-z9uVux4pIH">media room misunderstanding</a> at the French Open by offering to partner the American in mixed doubles at Wimbledon or the US&nbsp;Open.

<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/rafael-nadal-win-french-open-title-225750&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjNqPntoePiAhWx4XMBHW8CBD8QFjAGegQIABAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1y5aCDnP91U72DNdaUfVmD">Thiem</a>, who finished runner-up at Roland Garros, was left fuming after being asked to make way for Williams at a post-match news conference following her third-round defeat in the first week of the tournament.

Williams, who had just lost in straight sets to Sofia Kenin, was pushing organisers to give her a room right away and Thiem accused the American of showing "bad personality" and treating him like "a junior".

"Probably it was not Serena's mistake. I find her achievements unbelievable, sensational. I would like to make amends with her in Wimbledon or the US&nbsp;Open mixed doubles," he told reporters on Tuesday.

"In retrospect, it was funny that such an organisational mistake happened at a Grand Slam tournament. What I do not understand is that it blew up so much," Thiem said.

Thiem, a clay court specialist, said he wanted to improve his record at Wimbledon, where he has never reached the quarter-finals. He retired midway through his opening round match against Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis last year.

"Wimbledon is special. I want to show myself better than last year. At that time I was slightly injured and had to give up in the first round. Now I see good chances to get relatively far," the 25-year-old added.

Austria's Dominic Thiem has extended an olive branch to Serena Williams after their media room misunderstanding at the French Open by offering to partner the American in mixed doubles at Wimbledon or the US Open.

Austria's Dominic Thiem has extended an olive branch to Serena Williams after their media room misunderstanding at the French Open by offering to partner the American in mixed doubles at Wimbledon or the US Open. Thiem, who finished runner-up at Roland Garros, was left fuming after being asked to make way for Williams at a post-match news conference following her third-round defeat in the first week of the tournament. Williams, who had just lost in straight sets to Sofia Kenin, was pushing organisers to give her a room right away and Thiem accused the American of showing "bad personality" and treating him like "a junior". "Probably it was not Serena's mistake. I find her achievements unbelievable, sensational. I would like to make amends with her in Wimbledon or the US Open mixed doubles," he told reporters on Tuesday. "In retrospect, it was funny that such an organisational mistake happened at a Grand Slam tournament. What I do not understand is that it blew up so much," Thiem said. Thiem, a clay court specialist, said he wanted to improve his record at Wimbledon, where he has never reached the quarter-finals. He retired midway through his opening round match against Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis last year. "Wimbledon is special. I want to show myself better than last year. At that time I was slightly injured and had to give up in the first round. Now I see good chances to get relatively far," the 25-year-old added.

Dominic Thiem seeks to end Serena Williams row with mixed doubles offer at Wimbledon

'It's very special,' says Rafael Nadal on historic French Open title

When <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-cricketer-to-grand-slam-winner-ashleigh-bartys-journey-is-inspiring-225626">Ash Barty won the French Open title</a> on Saturday she thought she was the first Australian woman to lift the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen since Margaret Court in 1973.

According to the trophy, though, there was also an Australian champion in 1976.

Clearly, nobody has told Sue Barker, the Briton who triumphed in Paris 43 years ago.

Barker, now aged 63 and from Paignton in south-west England, is a sports presenter in UK.

Back in 1976 she was a rising star and recorded her best Grand Slam result by winning in Paris aged 20, beating Czech Renata Tomanova in the final.

She reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon and the Australian Open the following year but never again played a Grand Slam final.

Galling, then, perhaps that her one moment of Grand Slam glory has been recorded for posterity on the trophy with the letters 'AUST' next to her name, denoting Australia rather than the 'GBR' for Britain.

It is not the only error on the trophy as under Barker comes 1977 champion Mima Jausovec, whose name is mis-spelt 'Jausevec'.

The name of the women's doubles trophy, the Coupe Simonne Mathieu, created in 1990, has also been mis-spelt 'Simone Mathieu' on the plaque and on the cup itself.

French Open organisers told Reuters on Sunday that the mistakes would be fixed.&nbsp;

When Ash Barty won the French Open title on Saturday she thought she was the first Australian woman to lift the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen since Margaret Court in 1973.

When Ash Barty won the French Open title on Saturday she thought she was the first Australian woman to lift the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen since Margaret Court in 1973. According to the trophy, though, there was also an Australian champion in 1976. Clearly, nobody has told Sue Barker, the Briton who triumphed in Paris 43 years ago. Barker, now aged 63 and from Paignton in south-west England, is a sports presenter in UK. Back in 1976 she was a rising star and recorded her best Grand Slam result by winning in Paris aged 20, beating Czech Renata Tomanova in the final. She reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon and the Australian Open the following year but never again played a Grand Slam final. Galling, then, perhaps that her one moment of Grand Slam glory has been recorded for posterity on the trophy with the letters 'AUST' next to her name, denoting Australia rather than the 'GBR' for Britain. It is not the only error on the trophy as under Barker comes 1977 champion Mima Jausovec, whose name is mis-spelt 'Jausevec'. The name of the women's doubles trophy, the Coupe Simonne Mathieu, created in 1990, has also been mis-spelt 'Simone Mathieu' on the plaque and on the cup itself. French Open organisers told Reuters on Sunday that the mistakes would be fixed.

French Open red-faced over 43-year trophy error

Rafael Nadal might have <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rafael-nadal-win-french-open-title-225750">won a 12th Roland Garros title</a> on the weekend, but he remains well behind Novak Djokovic, a semi-finalist in Paris, in ATP rankings released Monday.

Austrian Dominic Thiem, whom Nadal beat in Sunday's final, keeps his fourth place behind Switzerland's Roger Federer, who went down to the Spaniard in the last-four on his first appearance in Paris since 2015.

Russian Karen Khachanov jumped two spots into a personal best of ninth thanks to his achievement in reaching the French Open quarter-finals.

Italy's Fabio Fognini, also a quarter-finalist at Roland Garros and winner in Monte-Carlo in April, also moved up two places to 10th.

The biggest mover in the top 20 was Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka, whose quarter-final defeat by Federer in Paris was enough to see him go up nine places into 19th.

Watch&nbsp;Rafael Nadal's all winning moments at French Open:

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ATP ranking as of June 10, 2019

1. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 12,715 pts

2. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 7,945

3. Roger Federer (SUI) 6,670

4. Dominic Thiem (AUT) 4,685

5. Alexander Zverev (GER) 4,360

6. Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) 4,215

7. Kei Nishikori (JPN) 4,040

8. Kevin Anderson (RSA) 3,565

9. Karen Khachanov (RUS) 2,980 (+2)

10. Fabio Fognini (ITA) 2,785 (+2)

11. John Isner (USA) 2,715 (-1)

12. Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) 2,695 (-3)

13. Daniil Medvedev (RUS) 2,625 (+1)

14. Borna Coric (CRO) 2,525 (+1)

15. Marin Cilic (CRO) 2,395 (-2)

16. Gael Monfils (FRA) 2,055 (+1)

17. Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) 1,970 (-1)

18. Milos Raonic (CAN) 1,960

19. Stan Wawrinka (SUI) 1,715 (+9)

20 Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) 1,690 (+1)

Rafael Nadal might have won a 12th Roland Garros title on the weekend, but he remains well behind Novak Djokovic, a semi-finalist in Paris, in ATP rankings released Monday.

Rafael Nadal might have won a 12th Roland Garros title on the weekend, but he remains well behind Novak Djokovic, a semi-finalist in Paris, in ATP rankings released Monday. Austrian Dominic Thiem, whom Nadal beat in Sunday's final, keeps his fourth place behind Switzerland's Roger Federer, who went down to the Spaniard in the last-four on his first appearance in Paris since 2015. Russian Karen Khachanov jumped two spots into a personal best of ninth thanks to his achievement in reaching the French Open quarter-finals. Italy's Fabio Fognini, also a quarter-finalist at Roland Garros and winner in Monte-Carlo in April, also moved up two places to 10th. The biggest mover in the top 20 was Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka, whose quarter-final defeat by Federer in Paris was enough to see him go up nine places into 19th. Watch Rafael Nadal's all winning moments at French Open: × ATP ranking as of June 10, 2019 1. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 12,715 pts 2. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 7,945 3. Roger Federer (SUI) 6,670 4. Dominic Thiem (AUT) 4,685 5. Alexander Zverev (GER) 4,360 6. Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) 4,215 7. Kei Nishikori (JPN) 4,040 8. Kevin Anderson (RSA) 3,565 9. Karen Khachanov (RUS) 2,980 (+2) 10. Fabio Fognini (ITA) 2,785 (+2) 11. John Isner (USA) 2,715 (-1) 12. Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) 2,695 (-3) 13. Daniil Medvedev (RUS) 2,625 (+1) 14. Borna Coric (CRO) 2,525 (+1) 15. Marin Cilic (CRO) 2,395 (-2) 16. Gael Monfils (FRA) 2,055 (+1) 17. Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) 1,970 (-1) 18. Milos Raonic (CAN) 1,960 19. Stan Wawrinka (SUI) 1,715 (+9) 20 Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) 1,690 (+1)

French Open winner Rafael Nadal still lagging Novak Djokovic in rankings

Rafael Nadal claimed a record-stretching 12th French Open title by beating Austrian fourth seed Dominic Thiem 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 in a repeat of last year's final on Sunday.

The Spaniard, who now has 18 majors to his name, also becomes the first player to win the same Grand Slam title 12 times, going past Margaret Court's 11 Australian Open titles.

He took command by winning a high-octane first set, but Thiem, who was on court for the fourth consecutive day after weather delays, stayed in the contest and fought back to go level.

Nadal's response was brutal as he won 16 of the first 17 points of the third set against a tiring Thiem, bagged it in less than half an hour.

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18 Grand Slams. 
12 Roland-Garros titles. 
1 <a href="https://twitter.com/RafaelNadal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RafaelNadal</a>.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RG19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RG19</a> <a href="https://t.co/gWXeqGCZGd">pic.twitter.com/gWXeqGCZGd</a>
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) <a href="https://twitter.com/rolandgarros/status/1137756482748014592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 9, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The 33-year-old, whose Roland Garros haul started on his debut year in 2005, cruised through the fourth set and wrapped it up when Thiem sent a forehand long.

Rafael Nadal claimed a record-stretching 12th French Open title by beating Austrian fourth seed Dominic Thiem 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 in a repeat of last year's final on Sunday.

Rafael Nadal claimed a record-stretching 12th French Open title by beating Austrian fourth seed Dominic Thiem 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 in a repeat of last year's final on Sunday. The Spaniard, who now has 18 majors to his name, also becomes the first player to win the same Grand Slam title 12 times, going past Margaret Court's 11 Australian Open titles. He took command by winning a high-octane first set, but Thiem, who was on court for the fourth consecutive day after weather delays, stayed in the contest and fought back to go level. Nadal's response was brutal as he won 16 of the first 17 points of the third set against a tiring Thiem, bagged it in less than half an hour. 18 Grand Slams. 12 Roland-Garros titles. 1 @RafaelNadal.#RG19 pic.twitter.com/gWXeqGCZGd — Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 9, 2019 × The 33-year-old, whose Roland Garros haul started on his debut year in 2005, cruised through the fourth set and wrapped it up when Thiem sent a forehand long.

Rafael Nadal beats Dominic Thiem to claim record-stretching French Open title

From cricketer to grand slam winner, Ashleigh Barty's journey is inspiring

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