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The 2022 edition of the French Open saw the rise of blossoming talent and dominance of the already established to cap off another memorable event at Stade Roland Garros.
World No. 5 Rafael Nadal proved yet again that he's the greatest player ever to play in this tournament by winning his 14th French Open title.
Meanwhile, Iga Swiatek continued her command over the women's tour and won her second French Open crown. She extended her unbeaten run to 35 matches, equalling Venus Williams' record in 2000. Another win will see the Pole become the undisputed record holder for the longest winning streak in the 21st century among women.
However, amidst all the guts and glory, this edition of the French Open was not short of controversies, surprises and high octane drama.
Here's a look at seven moments that stood out at the 2022 French Open
#7 Amazon TV rights the main culprit behind night matches scheduling controversy at French Open.
The French Open's usually festive, early summer atmosphere is now tinged with controversy because of one company, Amazon.
The ecommerce giant signed a deal with the French Tennis Federation, which gave them the exclusive rights to air 10 night-time matches at the French Open. A new feature at the tournament, thanks to a mammoth $400 million upgrade that included a full rehaul of Philippe Chatrier and the installation of a roof and lights.
For the players, this deal has been a nightmare, morphing into an argument over match scheduling and dealing with extreme conditions on the court during their matches. The top pros made their feelings heard at press conferences and gave their take on the scheduling situation.
"The humidity is higher, the ball is slower, and there can be very heavy conditions especially when it's cold" - Nadal shared his thoughts on the night time scheduling
Carlos Alcaraz and Karen Khachanov were forced to wrap Roland Garros towels around them to ward off the cold, which dropped to single digits Celsius as it neared midnight. In the stands, far from full, some spectators unfloded blankets as they shivered through the match.
Alcaraz also stated that it would be unfair if other players booked a day time slot and left him playing at night.
"When we finish at midnight, with all that comes with it - dinner, physio, trying to come down in term of adrenaline, it's harder to recover"- Alcaraz on the disadvantages of playing a night match.
#6 Irina Camelia begu almost hurting a child with her raquet
Irina Camelia Begu squared off against Ekaterina Alexandrova in the second round of the French Open. Both players started off really well and matched each other's shots in the first two sets. Camelia Begu lost the intense first set in a tie-breaker but hit right back to win the second to level the match at one set apiece.
Trailing 2-0 in the third set, Camelia Begu walked up to her chair for a racquet change. The Romanian was so frustrated with the poor start in the decider that she bounced her raquet off the clay surface into the stands, almost hurting a spectator who happened to be a young boy.
The boy was left frightened and began crying. Camelia Begu was only sanctioned with a warning by the chair umpire because the racket did not touch the young boy and apologized in her press conference after the match.
"I didn't want to hit that racquet, you know...you hit the clay with the racquet but you never expect to fly that much. It was an embarrassing moment for me & I just want to end it and not talk about it and apologize again," Camelia Begu said
The 31-year old went on to win the match against Alexandrova 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-4.
#5 Wimbledon taking the limelight early on in the tournament during press conferences
The ATP and WTA recently announced that no points will be awarded at the tournament, which is set to get underway next month, due to the ban on Russian and Belarusian players from competing at SW19 amid the ongoing military situation in Ukraine.
The current state of affairs will effectively see Wimbledon turn into an exhibition event, with a number of top players having already voiced their concerns over the absence of ranking incentives.
After overcoming Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka in the first round of the French Open, Djokovic was asked if he would be playing at the All England Championships.
"Yes, I intend to go to Wimbledon and defend my title. Wimbledon is still Wimbledon, it was my dream as a kid, I never looked at it for points or prize-money, but I understand the group of players affected. It’s a lose-lose situation," Djokovic said.
While former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka had a different opinion after her first-round match.
“I would say the decision is kind of affecting my mentality going into grass, like I’m not 100% sure if I’m going to go there. I’m leaning more towards not playing given the current circumstances. I’m the type of player that gets motivated by seeing my ranking go up," Naomi Osaka said
Andrey Rublev, who will not be allowed to turn out at Wimbledon despite being ranked seventh in the world, shed more light on his view of the ordeal.
"Wimbledon broke an agreement with the ATP, When you have a deal, you cannot break it, and they did," Andrey Rublev said.
#4 Carlos Alcaraz enjoying the attention from the crowd to the organizers
Carlos Alcaraz lost just one match in his last 22 ahead of the French Open and was one of the favorites to win the tournament. He won the the Miami Masters, Barlelona Open and the Madrid Masters with eye-opening victories over Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Alexander Zverev in the claycourt season.
Alcaraz got a lot of attention from the Parisian crowds during the 2022 French Open. Being a fan favourite is one thing, but to handle the pressure of their expectations is not everyone's cup of tea.
The World No. 7 reflected back on his match against Karen Kachanov in the fourth round and spoke to Eurosport about how he handles all the buzz that surrounds him.
"I like the people talking about me, knowing me. Its pressure, but I try to get that pressure as motivation. I like to play in the biggest stadiums in front of a lot of people," Alcaraz said.
Alexander Zverev also spoke about how Carlos Alcaraz was favoured by French Open organizers, ahead of their quarterfinal tie. In an interview with Eurosport, the German pointed out at scheduling and court prefences that the 19-year old was alloted.
"It is very interesting to see that Alcaraz gets what he wants. We all have played a couple of times on Court Suzanne Lenglen. Myself three times, Novak twice, even Rafa. But Alcaraz plays every match on Philippe Chatrier. I get that he is the exciting new mega-talent in tennis. I am still the No. 3 in the world, but this is nothing about me," Zverev said.
Alexander Zverev went on to win the quarter-finals against Carlos Alcaraz 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7).
#3 Climate change protestor storms Court Philippe Chatrier, ties herself to the net in Marin Cilic-Casper Ruud SF encounter
Earlier in the year, police intercepted a man with a banner reading 'Abolish refugee detention' during the 2022 Australian Open men's final between Daniil Medvedev and Rafael Nadal. The incident, which happened in the second set, saw both players surrounded by security as the intruder was apprehended and removed from Rod Laver Arena.
At the 2022 French Open, the semifinal clash between Casper Ruud and Marin Cilic was interrupted by an environmental activist who tied herself to the net on Court Philippe-Chatrier. The protestor, who was wearing a white t-shirt displaying the message, "We have 1028 days left," jumped onto the court and attached herself to the net using a chain that went around their neck.
The French organisation Dernière Rénovation claimed responsibility for the protest. The group said that a 22-year-old protestor named Alizée had entered the court “to draw attention to the climate emergency”.
"The 1028 days left" appeared to be a reference to the UN’s latest climate report, which gave a deadline of 2025 for the world’s emissions to peak in order to prevent disastrous climate change effects.
Security at Roland Garros was slow to react to the incident and the match was halted for 15 minutes, spoiling the flow of the game and momentum for both Cilic and Ruud. The 23-year old went on to win the match and became the first Norwegian to reach the finals of a Grand Slam.
#2 Iga Swiatek's equalling Venus Williams's record for most wins in a row
Iga Swiatek won her second French Open crown with a commanding win over Coco Gauff in the finals. The Pole is now one win away from breaking Venus Williams' 21st century record of 35 wins in a row.
Swiatek, who recently turned 21, has embarked on a brilliant run of form since a last 16 defeat to Jelena Ostapenko at the Dubai Tennis Championships in February. The World No. 1 lifted four WTA 1000 titles in Doha, Indian Wells, Miami and Rome before her French Open run.
The Pole will turn her attention to the grass-court season and Wimbledon, with a 36th straight win in her sights. However, the all-time longest unbeaten run belongs to Martina Navratilova's 74-match streak in 1984, which remains a long way off.
#1 Rafael Nadal becomes the oldest man to win the French Open
The 36-year-old Spaniard showed the world yet again why he's considered the "King of Clay" in addition to becoming the oldest men’s singles champion at the French Open in the history of the tournament.
Andres Gimeno previously held the record by winning Roland Garros at the age of 34 in 1972.
Nadal’s first victory in Paris came in 2005 when he was 19-years old. Going strong in his career in his mid 30s and winning the French Open 17 years later for a 14th time is unmatched. After his victory over Casper Ruud in the finals, Nadal spoke about his remarkable achievement in a press conference.
"For me personally, it’s very difficult to describe the feelings that I have. “It’s something that I for sure never believed I’d be here at 36, being competitive again, playing in the most important court of my career one more final, it means a lot to me," Nadal said.
The 22-time Grand Slam winner has been fighting a chronic foot injury for almost two decades. He took anaesthetic injections before every match to numb his foot and allow him to play without any pain.
Rafael Nadal plans to begin a new type of treatment, conducting radiofrequency ablation on the nerves in his foot to numb some of the pain for between 12-24 months. If this treatment is unsuccessful, the Spaniard might have to consider another major surgery, casting doubts over his future career.
However, should it prove successful, Nadal stated in the press conference that he intends to play Wimbledon.
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