In her newest Sky Sports activities column, Gigi Salmon displays on an unimaginable French Open males’s remaining between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, whereas additionally talking about her assembly with Coco Gauff’s dad and mom Candi and Corey after her maiden triumph at Roland-Garros. She additionally discusses whether or not Britain is turning into a clay nation and Novak Djokovic’s poignant wave to the gang in what may very well be his final look on the clay-court Grand Slam.
‘The place have been you when…’ A query that might be requested with regularity relating to the lads’s remaining at Roland-Garros which set a brand new report for the longest remaining within the event’s historical past, pushed the gamers in query as much as and manner past their limits, left spectators speechless and led me to say in commentary: “I love tennis” – one thing I do not usually say out loud on air!
I had the honour of commentating on top-of-the-line matches I’ve ever seen reside, for Radio RG [Roland-Garros], and probably the best Grand Slam remaining.
From excessive up in Philippe-Chatrier a match that began within the late afternoon sunshine in Paris completed four-hours and 29 minutes later below the floodlights.
A primary Grand Slam remaining assembly between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, the primary of many, a twelfth assembly general and, if we’re sincere, the ultimate most individuals wished to see. When these two gamers face one another it does not disappoint, it could actually’t, the distinction in types, personalities and the will to be the perfect.
Alcaraz, 22, has now gained 5 Slam finals from 5 finals, after saving three championship factors on his serve and doing one thing that he has by no means finished earlier than, coming from two units to like down.
For his half, world No 1 Sinner recovered from each changing these championship factors after which from being an early break down within the fifth to take us the gap in what is just his second event again after coming back from his three-month suspension.
A event that began with a tribute to the ‘King of Clay’ Rafa Nadal with a plaque laid in his honour on the facet the courtroom, fittingly rounded off with a remaining for the ages.
I used to be fortunate to be behind the scenes shortly after the match completed and shut sufficient to see each emotion doable from these closest to the gamers, the tears of pleasure, disappointment and delight. Many legends of the sport have been discovering it exhausting to place into phrases what they’d witnessed. After I requested event director Amelie Mauresmo how she felt, she replied ‘speechless’, earlier than including that she can be reflecting on a profitable two weeks with a pleasant glass of purple wine!
Gauff’s maiden French Open title
The environment on Sunday backstage was in stark distinction to Saturday which was buzzing within the aftermath of Coco Gauff’s second Grand Slam title and her first in Paris.
Gauff’s three-set win over world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka stood out for its personal causes, troublesome circumstances, the American’s comeback, Sabalenka’s incapability to cope with the circumstances and probably the state of affairs, and the drama of the way it performed out.
After the match, Daniela Hantuchova and I hung out chatting with Gauff’s dad and mom Candi and Corey, filled with delight for his or her daughter and the way she dealt with all the things, remembering she remains to be solely 21.
Dad Corey for some time now hasn’t sat within the field as his residing and respiratory each level grew to become unmanageable within the field and in his personal phrases: ‘I do not deal with it nicely, that is why I do not sit within the field, I deliver an excessive amount of unfavourable vitality, I battle all over – I discover a nook and I keep in it.’
He additionally mentioned that her psychological power comes from her religion and having nice ‘religious power’, happening to say: ‘I’ve nice perception in myself and it may be contagious. I all the time suppose I could be the perfect at all the things as if I do not consider it then nobody will – it’s essential to simply consider in your self.’
Gauff’s coach JC Faurel mentioned that any coach who tells you they’re calm within the field are mendacity and that he was a large number inside, whereas Matt Daley who joined the workforce final 12 months praised Gauff for being keen to make tweaks and adjustments throughout matches. The celebrations – all of them confirmed – earlier than the Gauff’s headed again to America have been going to be large and lasted lengthy into the night time!
So a brand new Champion in Paris in Gauff, a remaining that will by no means be crushed, a becoming tribute to the ‘King of Clay’ in the beginning and, from a British viewpoint, 4 finals that includes British gamers.
Is Britain turning into a clay nation?
Jack Draper has lots to remove from his clay-court marketing campaign
Somebody posed the query just lately, ‘is Britain turning into a clay nation,’ a powerful assertion and whereas some good inroads are being made, we’re nonetheless a good distance from placing the purple grime on the high of the record of British gamers favorite floor.
Jack Draper got here into the French Open as a contender because the world No 5 having had a incredible clay swing reaching the ultimate in Madrid and the quarter-finals in Rome.
However nobody was selecting him to win the title and to significantly problem the likes of Alcaraz and Sinner on clay would have been very robust and he would fall within the fourth spherical to Alexander Bublik who performed the match of his life!
It is to not say Jack cannot or will not sooner or later, all of the indicators look nice and there is a lot to remove from the previous couple of months.
Cam Norrie had a superb run to the fourth spherical, finally falling to Novak Djokovic, his first-round win over former world No 1 Daniil Medvedev in 5 units and almost 4 hours was incredible and having had a troublesome 18 months of so, there’s so much for Cam to tackle to the grass together with a lift in his rating. Whereas Jack Fearnley continues to rack up firsts, selecting up his first French Open wins and happening to Norrie within the third spherical.
On the ladies’s facet, all three made it via to the second spherical with Katie Boulter and Sonay Kartal profitable their first French Open matches and for Emma Raducanu she had the misfortune to run right into a revived Iga Swiatek in spherical two.
There was, although, a title and 4 finals to have a good time, with Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid profitable their twenty third Grand Slam doubles title collectively and their six successive French Open doubles title with Hewett regrouping from shedding the lads’s wheelchair singles title earlier within the day to the world No 1 Tokito Odo.
Hannah Klugman, 16, grew to become the primary British lady to succeed in the ultimate of the junior competitors in Paris in 49 years, which was additionally her first Grand Slam singles remaining and there was disappointment for Joe Salisbury and Neil Skupski, who misplaced out within the males’s doubles remaining, having develop into the primary British gamers to succeed in the ultimate at Roland-Garros since 1936.
So in conclusion are we turning into a clay nation? No! Are we beginning to take pleasure in it a bit extra? Sure!
Have we seen Djokovic for the final time at Roland-Garros?
Somebody who enjoys the clay with 20 of his 100 titles approaching the floor together with three at Roland-Garros is Novak Djokovic however have we seen the final of him within the French capital?
He made some extent of stopping in the course of Courtroom Philippe-Chatrier after his semi-final loss to Sinner, to take a while to applaud the gang earlier than reaching down to the touch the clay.
He was requested in his post-match press convention if that was him saying goodbye to which he replied: “This could have been the last match ever I played here, so I don’t know.
“Do I want to play extra? Sure, I do. However will I be capable to play in 12 months’ time right here once more? I do not know. That is all I can say for the second.”
Wise phrases from a 38-year-old who might be 39 when the French Open rolls round in 2026.
I’ve heard from individuals near him that he needs to and intends to play on subsequent 12 months however there are different components in play. If he secures Grand Slam title No 25, does he do a mic drop having achieved all the things there may be to realize within the sport? He nonetheless has Wimbledon and the US Open to come back this 12 months and can the physique proceed to play ball, that finally led to Nadal strolling away when he did.
What a few weeks it has been within the French Capital, ending with a match that has transcended tennis. On my flight again this morning it was the primary subject of dialog among the many different passengers, a mixture of tennis followers and people who simply occurred to come back throughout it after which could not look away. I am going again to what I mentioned round 4 hours into the ultimate, ‘I like tennis!’
Watch the ATP and WTA Excursions, in addition to the US Open in New York, reside on Sky Sports activities in 2025 or stream with NOW and the Sky Sports activities app, giving Sky Sports activities prospects entry to over 50 per cent extra reside sport this 12 months at no further value. Discover out extra right here.
