2023-05-21 11:26:41
The 2023 edition of Roland-Garros will have a special flavor. In the minds of the players first of all, with the withdrawal of host Rafael Nadal for the first time since 2004, but also in the hearts of the French on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the last blue-white-red victory of Yannick Noah in 1983.
While some have in mind to perform and reach the second week of the tournament, synonymous with the round of 16, others first aim to qualify for the main draw. The qualifications for the Parisian Grand Slam begin this Monday with 30 French players on the bill. Overview.
The headliners
They have already experienced the joys of a final draw on several occasions, but today no longer have the ranking, nor the level to claim it. On the other hand, their names will inevitably bring people back to the stands. The best known of them, Lucas Pouille, former world number 10 who fell to 678th place, will try to make his way to the main draw. The winner of the 2017 Davis Cup has already reached the third round twice on Parisian ocher.
Alongside him in the qualifying table, another Davis Cup winner, Pierre-Hughes Herbert, now 397th in the world. The doubles specialist, twice crowned Porte d’Auteuil alongside Nicolas Mahut, is in dire need of results this season on the Challenger circuit.
On the women’s side, we will find in particular Fiona Ferro, too far this year to hope for an invitation in the main draw of the organizers. The ex-39th in the world is, however, one of the most experienced French players in activity on the Parisian ocher, with eight participations and an 8th final in 2020.
The greatest chances of qualifying
On the men’s side, there are a lot of them who are aiming for a good run in qualifying, and why not until the first round of the main draw. Laurent Lokoli, 195th in the world, has already achieved such a feat at the start of the year at the Australian Open. The former hope of French tennis, who fell to nearly 1,000th place in the ATP rankings in 2016, has just snagged Andy Murray, titled Challenger d’Aix-en-Provence, in 3 sets (6/4 5/7 6 /3). His Corsican hot blood might get French fans up.
Best Frenchman in the ranking in these qualifications, Enzo Couacaud, 153rd in the world, will have the opportunity to get out of the qualifications during a fourth Grand Slam in a row. At the Australian Open this year, he had reached the second round before losing by taking a set from Novak Djokovic. Geoffrey Blancaneaux (picture below), he had made his way to the main draw at the Porte d’Auteuil last year. The former winner of Roland-Garros junior in 2016 is in great shape, since he must play this Saturday in the final of the Challenger of Tunis.
Among the women, it will also be necessary to follow a former champion among the juniors: Elsa Jacquemot, crowned in 2020. The 20-year-old Lyonnaise, 174th in the world, had benefited from a wild card last year and had managed to pass a round . A little older (25) and therefore more experienced, Harmony Tan, 8th runner-up at the last Wimbledon by eliminating Serena Williams, also has the cards in hand to get by.
Young people to watch
Barring a miracle – even if Roland-Garros is used to surprising us – these young talents should have a hard time getting by. In any case this year, because the future is reaching out to them, like Daphnée Mpetshi Perricard… who is only 14 years old! In the footsteps of her brother Giovanni, 19 years old and 233rd in the world, the very young player is the huge surprise reserved by the FFT during the invitations, because she does not even have a WTA ranking.
Next door, Gabriel Debru, 17 years old and 533rd in the world, would almost pass for an old rogue. The winner of Roland-Garros junior 2022 became last year, at 16, one of the youngest players in history to win a qualifying match for a Grand Slam tournament. To try to pass one more round in 2023?
Like every year, it will be a bonus for youth with nine French people aged 21 or less: Loïs Boisson (495th) and Nina Radovanovic (558th) among women, Harold Mayot (196th), Terence Atmane (249th), Titouan Droguet (275th ), Mathys Erhard (361st), Sascha Gueymard Wayenburg (396th), Antoine Ghibaudo (734th) and Arthur Gea (982nd) for men.
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