alexrgct
RIP, Alex
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2011
- Messages
- 10,091
- Reaction Score
- 15,648
Serena is dominating on clay this spring, solidifying her spot atop the rankings. And, whether she wins the French or not, she's got the opportunity to pick up a ton of points in Paris given that she lost in the opening round last year.
But can she win here? I see no compelling reason why not, but Roland Garros has been a house of horrors for her. Yes, she won in 2002, a championship that signified her arrival as THE #1 player in women's tennis. However, she's tended to have relatively poor results here.
A win at the French Open would be major title #16 for her, and that all of a sudden puts her in spitting distance of Navratilova and Evert. It would also complete a "double career Grand Slam", something I feel she has to do if she wants to be in the conversation as greatest ever. After all, Steffi Graf had a quadruple career slam, and both Martina and Chrissy pulled off the double in their own right.
I feel like this is her year to do it, and it will be a wasted opportunity if she does not. No other top players are consistently excellent on clay. No woman's player has been a threat year in and year out at Roland Garros since Justine Henin (indeed, there's been a different winner at the French every year since Justine's last "real" year in 2007). She's stomped Sharapova and Azarenka in tourneys on clay this spring, and other than 2011 champion Li Na, there's no one else who *should* be able to put up much of a fight.
So is this the year Serena exorcises some demons and takes another step towards GOAT status in women's tennis by becoming a two-time champion, 11 years apart no less, at the French Open?
But can she win here? I see no compelling reason why not, but Roland Garros has been a house of horrors for her. Yes, she won in 2002, a championship that signified her arrival as THE #1 player in women's tennis. However, she's tended to have relatively poor results here.
A win at the French Open would be major title #16 for her, and that all of a sudden puts her in spitting distance of Navratilova and Evert. It would also complete a "double career Grand Slam", something I feel she has to do if she wants to be in the conversation as greatest ever. After all, Steffi Graf had a quadruple career slam, and both Martina and Chrissy pulled off the double in their own right.
I feel like this is her year to do it, and it will be a wasted opportunity if she does not. No other top players are consistently excellent on clay. No woman's player has been a threat year in and year out at Roland Garros since Justine Henin (indeed, there's been a different winner at the French every year since Justine's last "real" year in 2007). She's stomped Sharapova and Azarenka in tourneys on clay this spring, and other than 2011 champion Li Na, there's no one else who *should* be able to put up much of a fight.
So is this the year Serena exorcises some demons and takes another step towards GOAT status in women's tennis by becoming a two-time champion, 11 years apart no less, at the French Open?
