In honour of Rafael Nadal’s 34th birthday, the ATP Tour is celebrating by reliving 34 facts, moments or memories that have made his tennis career spectacular thus far.

34 – Percentage of return games won for Nadal in his career.
33 – Age when the lefty finished 2019 as the oldest year-end World No. 1 in history.
32 – Consecutive matches won from 2008 Hamburg until 2008 Cincinnati, Nadal’s career-best winning streak.
31 – Number of matches Nadal won at Roland Garros before his first loss at the major in 2009.
30 – Age when Nadal was Spain’s flagbearer for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. 
29 – Rafa’s age when he opened his Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar.
28th tour-level title came at the 2008 Fever-Tree Championships, setting up Nadal for his unforgettable Wimbledon run in which he defeated Roger Federer for his first trophy at The Championships.
27 – Number of Grand Slam finals Nadal has reached (19-8).
26 – Victories against Top 10 opponents at Roland Garros.
25 – Clay-court ATP Masters 1000 titles.
24 – Wins against Roger Federer (24-16)
23 – Age when the Spaniard won his 100th Grand Slam match at 2010 Roland Garros against Gianni Mina. He currently holds a 275-39 record at the majors. 100-17
22 – Age when Nadal first reached World No. 1 on 18 August 2008.
21 – Number of ATP 500 titles Nadal has won.
20 – Triumphs against World No. 1s, with his first coming as a 17-year-old at 2004 Miami against Federer.
19 – Grand Slam titles.
18 – Age when Nadal cracked the Top 10 of the FedEx ATP Rankings for the first time on 25 April 2005.
17 – 6-0 sets won at Roland Garros, where his record is 93-2.
16 – Years since winning his first title at 2004 Sopot.
15 – Age when Nadal won his first ATP Tour match at 2002 Mallorca against World No. 81 Ramon Delgado/Number of consecutive year-end Top 10 finishes.
14 – Number of year-end finishes inside the Top 5 of the FedEx ATP Rankings.
13 – No. of Masters 1000 finals Nadal has played Djokovic in.
12 – Roland Garros titles.
11 – Most titles in a single season, which came in 2005.
10 – Number of wins before Nadal cracks the 1,000-victory mark in his career, joining Jimmy Connors (1,274), Roger Federer (1,242) and Ivan Lendl (1,068) as the only players to reach that milestone.
9 – Number of seasons Nadal has led the ATP Tour in percentage of return games won.
8 – Consecutive titles won at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters from 2005-2012.
7 – Clay-court titles in 2005, his most in a single season.
6 – Wins against Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros.
5 – Finishes atop the year-end FedEx ATP Rankings.
4 – Age when he began playing tennis with his uncle, Toni Nadal.
3 – Grand Slam titles won without losing a set, all at Roland Garros (2008, 2010, 2017).
2 – Losses at Roland Garros compared to 93 wins.
1 – Total weeks at World No. 1: 209.

The ATP editorial team had another fun time reading the entries that were sent to us for the second installment of our Fan Essay Contest.

Writers aged 18 and under were challenged to write an essay of 500 words or less on the topic: ‘If you could work any job at an ATP Tour event, what would it be and why?’ The winning entries are featured below.

The Fan Essay Contest will run every three weeks and writers are encouraged to keep sending essays for each new question in the competition. The next topic will be announced later this week. Thanks to all of the talented writers who have entered!

Check out the Emirates ATP Kids Hub

A Day Interviewing On Tour
By Aditya Sharma, 16, Gurgaon, India

When I was a small kid, I sat in front of the television and saw Roger Federer defeat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the semi-finals of the 2010 Australian Open. After the match, Jim Courier came on court to interview Roger.

He had the audience out of their seats! I was laughing so hard for the next 15 minutes listening to the funny conversation between them. I realised that there was also a funny and casual side to tennis.

I thought that it would be so cool to be a post-match on-court interviewer. Tennis is not an easy sport. Standing next to such inspiring people who do it every day, with a microphone and having conversations with them, would be an honour to do on the ATP Tour.

I would ask them questions about their daily life and experiences. I’d get to know the human side of them and their struggles, achievements and thoughts. There are so many things that I have learned about the players through their on-court interviews. It gives an insight into their lives and all of their achievements that inspire us.

Another exciting experience of being a post-match interviewer is that you get to travel around the world to illustrious ATP Tour events. You’re in the action at the grandest ATP Masters 1000 stages like Madrid, Montreal, Monte-Carlo and Miami.

I imagine talking to a player like Roger, who has won 103 Tour-level titles including 20 Grand Slams, and Stan Wawrinka, who has three Grand Slam titles, a Masters 1000 trophy and has defeated a World No. 1 player in all of his major finals. Or to players like Andy Murray and John Millman, who have shown us that a career after threatening injuries is still possible.

I imagine myself at the Swiss Indoors Basel and going on court after Roger won his match, asking him questions and maybe having a laugh as well. Who knows who else I’d get to meet? Maybe Rafa in Barcelona? Thiem in Vienna?

Many legends of the sport like Courier and John McEnroe have turned to on-court interviewing after ending their illustrious careers. This shows their affection for the game that they love and cherish. Maybe I’d get the chance to meet them on the job as well, learn from them and maybe even get an autograph!

This job offers more than interviews. It offers an opportunity to learn, observe, meet various shareholders and become part of the ATP Tour.

A Lens Into The Action
By Zara Vellani, 15, Sydney, Australia

There are highlights in every tournament. Highlights that are brought by the players when they hit a winner, ballkids when they almost dive to make an amazing catch, chair umpires when they put their foot down and Dominic Thiem’s hair this year at the Australian Open. (Get it? Streaks through his hair…highlights…never mind).

The point is that the fans see it all in matches. People talk about it and sometimes it even makes the news! However, it is crucial to understand that there is more than what meets the eye.

Behind every brilliant match, there is continual effort that extends before and after, as well as throughout the whole tournament. So much support and effort is provided by countless staff who no one knows about. I think that it is vital to recognise these people who dedicate so much time without being in the spotlight.

If I were an employee at an ATP Tour event, I would probably like to be one of those people.

More specifically, I would like to be a cameraman (or camerawoman in my case) or videographer at tournaments. Everyone knows that there are cameramen, but these unsung heroes are the reason that people can enjoy tournaments all over the world. I think that these employees are extremely special because they are working in an environment where they are so close to top players, but cannot interact with them. I think that it would require a lot of mental strength and resilience to be a cameraman.

Being so close yet so far, contributing so much to the game and getting little credit for such an exhausting job deserves credit in itself. Having these humble traits is something that I aspire to.

This isn’t to say that I don’t like getting credit where it is due, but I think it’s a good point about how there are hard workers everywhere who make things look very easy. I think that being a cameraman is a good balance of having an important job that you also enjoy. They have a vital role and must stay focussed. Being able to consistently work hard for extremely long periods of time is something that I highly value. Plus, they get an awesome view of the match!

It’s a job which requires a lot of mental strength and a good work ethic. Their critical role in the tournaments is one which requires a massive amount of effort and dedication. I’d be satisfied if I could have half the strength of these amazing people.

Banter In The Locker Room
By Joaquin Ramirez Kakarieka, 17, Santiago, Chile

If the dream and desire to be a professional tennis player has always stayed with me, the opportunity to work at the ATP Tour is also another dream. I’d love to be there, see players pass by and observe their lives from another perspective. I thought up nine job options and ended up choosing one.

We start with the ball kid. They must all have a great time together and also have the luck of being inside a tennis court, perhaps even being able to witness a final up close in Centre Court at Wimbledon or watching Roger Federer face Rafael Nadal. But they also have many rules. They have to be very focussed on their obligations and cannot simply be spectators watching a match.

A chair umpire and a linesman have a lot of responsibility. One mistake and the players on court can get upset or you have the whole public against you. That would be hard.

A courtesy car driver could be a very relaxing job, but there may not be much interaction with the players and that’s what I’m looking for.

A reporter or photographer is much more attentive to his work than to matches. They’re both very tiring jobs.

A post-match on-court interviewer has to do a perfect job. They must manage the nerves of being able to interview players after the match, prepare good questions and also delight both the public and the player.

A physiotherapist is another option that I considered, but you have to know how to communicate very well with them and understand what pains they feel.

After much thought, I decided that my dream job on the ATP Tour would be as a locker room attendant. You need to have everything prepared spotlessly like the towels for each player, the bottles they need, ice tubs, showers and bathrooms. I would try to interact as much as possible with the players and also observe their routines before and after each game. I’d ask them how their day was and how they handle matches. You can get another perspective of how the players are inside the locker room and also be there to help them.

You will see fearsome players with a strong personality on court, but they can be friendly and talk to you in the locker room. I would have to handle my nerves, but believe they would go away once I started chatting with them.

From Ball Boy To Pro 
By Gabe Joshua Oliver Dodanwela, 10, Singapore

I’m a kid and the only job for a kid on the ATP Tour is being a ball boy. Being a ball boy requires speed, accuracy and effort. Some kids will want to be the CEO or hold the most important jobs on the ATP Tour, but you could also have an amazing time as a ball kid!

Firstly, the ball kids get attention when there are positive or funny moments. At the Australian Open this year, Rafael Nadal accidentally hit a ball girl and gave her a kiss afterwards. When you are a ball kid, everyone depends on you to help the match keep moving quickly.

Ball kids have to take a trial for the job and are selected by other people. They have to practise a lot and keep getting experience until they are doing their job in a major match at the Nitto ATP Finals. They must have a lot of stamina, especially if a match goes on for hours on end. It’s a lot of hard work, but it pays off in the end.

I think it’s the best job because you can still be a top tennis player when you get older and rewrite the history books. It might be the start of a fantastic tennis career. There are plenty of positives because you might meet some of your favorite tennis players, be seen on TV and have your family get to watch you.

Editor’s Note: But for the COVID-19 pandemic, Roland Garros would now be underway. During the next two weeks ATPTour.com will look back on memorable matches and happenings at the clay-court Grand Slam, which tournament organisers are now hoping to stage in September. This story was originally published on 5 June 2018.

“&*#!!” curses Toni Nadal.

Interrupt Toni when he is in task mode and the oaths fly out of his mouth like hot sparks from a blacksmith’s anvil. It is important to understand that Toni does not curse casually, nor as a form of insult, rather of exasperation.

In this particular case, it is the frustration of being delayed and quite possibly missing a flight from Palma de Mallorca to Madrid. We are at the entrance of the Rafael Nadal Tennis Academy in Manacor, and the airport is nearly an hour’s drive away. I am but one of a handful of obstacles keeping Toni from getting to the airport on time.

Standing aside, I watch Toni multi-task. He answers phone calls, signs papers, buttons his dress shirt, ties his leather shoes, and wrestles my oversize travel bag into the back of his two-door Mercedes SLC Roadster. Eventually, the retractable hardtop comes down, my bag goes in and we are ready to go. I briefly consider suggesting a hands-free apparatus for his phone, but then I realise that Toni Nadal is anything but hands-free.

Finally we are on our way. Toni looks at his watch and utters one last ‘&*#!!’. But this curse is different, a bit softer, more of a slow, drawn out sigh of relief. Leaving the academy, Toni drives through a mix of newly paved roads, narrow cobblestone alleys and a couple of roundabouts that he accelerates out of with the grace, speed, and confidence one would expect from Formula 1 driver Fernando Alonso. As if on cue, the phone finally stops ringing just as Toni hits the Ma-15 highway.

“One time I have a big discussion with Pato Clavet,” Toni begins. “Pato believes it is his job to make sure his player has everything in order to play his best; racquets perfect, water, balls, and like this. And I say, ‘this is not my opinion.’ If Rafa forgets his water, I say, ‘Well, it is your problem, today you don’t drink water.’ My work is not to bring water. Do you want to be a professional coach or a waiter?”

Our route to the airport takes us through the heart of Mallorca, where windmills that used to grind grain and pump water cast long shadows over fields that produce almond, fig and olive trees in great abundance. Restaurants fortified with heavy brick barbeque grills and wood-fired ovens look like they were built to feed legions of Roman soldiers. Meals are peasant food soaked in olive oil and portions are big enough to last for days. While Barcelona may very well be the cradle of Spanish tennis, it is here on the island of Mallorca, part of Spain’s autonomous zone, that lie the clues to how the world’s most successful tennis coach was formed.

“The relationship between player and coach is very important,” Toni continues as if some subterranean fire has been stoked inside of him. “Also it is the education that the player gets at home. My family formed my character. My father did not talk too much, but you see what he has done and I learned my character from his example.”

There can be no doubt where Toni Nadal’s demarcation line is drawn: respect for people.

“In this life, respect is very important as it should come from the younger to the older persons,” Toni says. “Not the other way around. Unbelievable the way the young today behave not showing respect. &*#!!!”

Like the great Carthaginian General Hannibal, who was born here in the Balearic Islands, Toni commands by both example and charisma. Just as Hannibal was fueled by a single-minded purpose in defeating Rome, so too has been Toni’s intense focus on forming his nephew.

With each military victory, Hannibal’s legend grew, and so too did Toni Nadal’s opinions gain merit with every Grand Slam Rafa won. While the amount of trophies they have collected together is impressive, equally so is that neither Toni nor Rafa fell victim to a trap as old as time. A trap that has tripped many a successful man – hubris.

“What I remember most about Toni from my time on Tour was how kind he was to people,” remembers Peter Lundgren, former coach of Roger Federer and other ATP World Tour stars. ”He was always very polite.”

Juan Manual Esparcia of Spain, another ATP World Tour coach, has observed Toni and Rafa rise to greatness from the beginning.

“Toni puts great emphasis on the education of strong values,” says Esparcia. “Rafa’s attitude to overcome the many adversities he has had to face and doing so in the most gracious manner, the example that Rafa Nadal gives to everyone every day, not only as a professional, but as a person, has Toni’s philosophy written all over it.”

Jack Reader, former coach of Viktor Troicki and Alexandr Dolgolopov, echoes a similar opinion.

“We often practised with Rafa,” says Reader. “And I never once saw Toni say something to Rafa that Rafa did not immediately acknowledge. I don’t know what Toni would say, but I do know that from the outside theirs seemed a relationship built on absolute respect and trust.”

Toni recalls: “I have said to Rafa, ‘In my opinion you have to do this, but make what you want’… Do you think that I like to see my nephew’s forehand follow-through wrapping his racquet around his head? Many times I say to him about the biomechanics and physics of a tennis stroke. If you want to put the ball there, then the arm goes here. But make what you want; it is your problem. It is your responsibility.”

At heart Toni is a professor. And like any good teacher, he is an astute student. However, his form of communicating is not for the sensitive type.

“Normally when you are not stupid you can learn,” Toni declares. “I have watched the greatest players in the world on the practice court and in competition. In this life, when you know that you are not the best and if you want to defeat the best you must be open to new ideas and keep learning to improve.”

A good example is Rafa changing his service grip two days before the start of the 2010 US Open. And then another change to the serve came before the 2016 US Open, where they experimented with more slice and angle. That being said, if after consideration Toni does not agree with something, then you will know it immediately.

“I talk always about to make the things simple,” Toni says. “Today we have a problem that society believes if it is too simple, then it is difficult to earn too much money. I have seen many people talk about analytics. And they forgot to see how is the player with the ball? What is most important is to arrive good to the ball, follow through and have good movements around the court.”

“It is true when you have more information, it is good, but information without the eyes and feeling of the coach is not enough. Many times you cannot see the things that analysts write. For example, the statistics say that you make 10 unforced errors with your backhand today. But maybe that is because your forehand is not right in this moment. A good coach needs to observe with his eyes on the situation, not just numbers on a paper.”

Agree or disagree with Toni, he is very consistent on the subject of eliminating excuses.

“I was disappointed at Wimbledon in 2013,” Toni admits. “My nephew lost to Steve Darcis. Rafa says to me that he can do nothing as he has knee problems. I say, ‘No, I don’t agree. If this match was in the final would you play like this?’ After many years I know it is impossible to win always – it is a part of the game – but let us speak the truth.”

Esparcia says, “I think Toni’s best quality and strength is knowing to analyse the needs in each situation in order to reach the next goal… To give Rafa the right solution at specifically the right moment, and to find the way to motivate him, regardless of the circumstances he might be facing.”

“Another time, in 2006 at the US Open,” Toni remembers, “and my nephew is complaining about the balls, that he cannot give them spin. Every day he is telling me the same. And so I say to Rafael, “OK, I go to the tournament director and see if he can change the balls for you.’ Then Rafael lost to James Blake. I go home to Mallorca and he went to Beijing and wins the tournament with the same balls he lost to Blake. So I ask him how the balls can take your spin in Beijing but not New York?”

There can be no better proof positive of the Pygmalion effect theory than Toni and Rafael Nadal.

“I remember once we were in Barcelona at Carlos Moya’s house,” Toni recalls. “Rafa was 15 or maybe 16, and Carlos says to me, ‘Toni, would you sign your name that in the future that Rafael will be good like Alberto Costa?’ And I say, ‘No, I don’t sign because I believe that Rafael will be better.’ And Carlos Moya was a little surprised. Because immediately he says, ‘Do you sign that in the future Rafael will be like Carlos Moya?’ And I say, ‘OK, yes, because you were No. 1 in the world.’ But I did not sign anything. When I went out of the house with my nephew that night I said to Rafael, ‘You can be better than Carlos Moya, but I do not want to show disrespect to him in his house.’ I knew my nephew was special.”

“For me was always too important to form the player,” Toni continues. “I was always happy when we were on the court and I was able to construct his game.”

Jose Perlas is one of the ATP World Tour’s most recognised coaches. There is not much in professional tennis, Spain or worldwide, that he has not seen.

“In some ways it was a perfect storm,” begins Perlas. “The Nadal family had experience of being athletes at the highest level of sport. Toni knew what it took to be good, and he also knew how much work it took to sustain that level. He was a tennis coach who had very strong opinions and he spoke with great conviction. Then Rafa had all the physical and mental gifts of an exceptional athlete, and the intense hunger to be great. Toni was an extremely dedicated professional coach who understood how to use his authority while assembling a team of experts around Rafa.”

As we enter the airport a journalist and camera crew are assembled and waiting on Toni to arrive. Though Toni may not be on the ATP World Tour any more, he is still in demand. When your pupil has 16 Grand Slams and is considered one of the greatest players in the history of tennis, your opinions matter.

Quite possibly, Toni might be the last of the breed. That species of tennis coach who commands from the frontline while saying what needs to be said without fear of retribution. The coach of yesteryear who demands hard work every day, a good attitude, respect for the game and those people associated with it. And no matter how great the stakes or painful the loss, refuses to make excuses while offering a simple no-frills match analysis. My guess is that Harry Hopman would certainly approve of Toni Nadal.

– Reproduced with permission from Elite Tennis Journal

After rallying from two sets down to defeat Andreas Seppi in the Round of 16, Novak Djokovic knew he would have to raise his level in the 2012 Roland Garros quarter-finals if he wanted to keep his bid for a non-Calendar Grand Slam alive.

The reigning Wimbledon, US Open and Australian Open champion faced crowd favourite Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for the 11th time in their ATP Head2Head rivalry on a damp Tuesday afternoon on Court Philippe-Chatrier. The pair entered the contest tied at 5-5, with Tsonga winning both of their previous contests in France.

World No. 5 Tsonga carried the hopes of a nation on his shoulders as the last French player in the draw, following Richard Gasquet’s fourth-round exit to Andy Murray. But the Parisian crowd, who had anticipated a classic battle on terre battue, was quickly silenced by a rapid start from Djokovic.

Appearing to suffer from fatigue after his own five-set victory in the previous round against Stan Wawrinka, Tsonga was easily broken in three consecutive games as Djokovic quickly established a 6-2, 2-0 advantage after just 27 minutes. Sensing that the match was slipping away from his grasp, Tsonga began to neutralise his rival in extended rallies and closed points with powerful attacks to turn the match on its head.

The Frenchman soon broke for 4-4 — to the delight of the Parisian crowd — and earned late breaks in both the second and third sets to snatch a two-sets-to-one lead. Cheers reverberated around Court Philippe-Chatrier. Their man was just one set away from the semi-finals.

As Djokovic returned to his bench, he knew he would need to earn another five-set triumph to survive. Since losing in five sets to Jurgen Melzer in the 2010 quarter-finals, the five-time Grand Slam champion had won each of the seven fifth sets he had contested. But, to reach that stage, he would have to find his way through a gripping fourth set.

“From the start, I played really well,” said Djokovic. “I was a set and a break up and then an incredible crowd supported Jo and he started playing really well. It was really difficult to stay focussed, but I was believing that maybe I can have my chances.”

Tsonga continued to push Djokovic to the limit, serving his way out of trouble on numerous occasions. The 6’2” right-hander earned four match points on his opponent’s serve late in the set, but Djokovic stepped up the court and committed to each and every shot he played to force a tie-break.

Surviving from the brink of defeat had become a habit for Djokovic on the Grand Slam stage, having also saved two match points in both his 2010 and 2011 US Open semi-final triumphs against Roger Federer. Riding a 25-match Grand Slam winning streak, the Serbian had built a fearless reputation in the locker room.

From 2/4 down in the tie-break, Djokovic once again raised his aggression and showed no fear. Tsonga committed back-to-back errors to hand Djokovic the set and the Serbian soon ran away with the match. The World No. 1 claimed two service breaks to serve for the match at 5-1 in the decider and converted his first match point with a backhand up the line after four hours and nine minutes.

“Unfortunately, there had to be one winner and one loser today,” said Djokovic. “He was the better player for most of the match. I was very fortunate to come back from four match points down. I don’t know how I went through that. It was an incredible match.”

The Serbian’s bid to hold all four Grand Slam trophies at the same time was ended by Rafael Nadal in the championship match, but Djokovic did manage to achieve the feat in Paris four years later. In the next three years, Tsonga advanced to the semi-finals in Paris on two occasions (2013, ’15).

“I’d said before the match that I was going to give my all, to do everything I could to win,” said Tsonga. “Unfortunately, the opportunity passed me by. I would have loved to have won this match, to have done better, fought harder, but I had nothing left at the end.”

Your favourite players are finding plenty of ways to keep busy. From Roberto Bautista Agut working on his game, to Jannik Sinner hitting the gym, find out how the world’s best players have been spending their days.

Bautista Agut resumed his normal practice sessions in Spain.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Vamos a por un nuevo lunes y un nuevo mes ? Espero que también vosotros estéis disfrutando ya del tenis! . Monday, 1st of June ? Hope you are enjoying tennis as well! . #RobertoBautistaAgut #Tennis #Tenis ? @equeliteferrero

A post shared by Roberto Bautista Agut (@robertobautistaagut) on Jun 1, 2020 at 12:12am PDT

Sinner continued to focus on building his strength.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Enjoyed another hard week of training.. hope everyone has a great weekend ??☀️ #Training #PushYourLimits #FridayFeeling

A post shared by Jannik Sinner (@janniksin) on May 29, 2020 at 10:47am PDT

Jan-Lennard Struff reflected on his breakout run last year at Roland Garros.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

One year ago today….I reached the second week of a Grand Slam for the first time. By beating Borna Coric 11-9 in the 5th Set in the 3rd Round of French Open. It meant the world to me back then. And it still does now. The crowd was amazing and the support I got was unreal! ? #memories #moments #frenchopen #rolandgarros #neverquit

A post shared by Jan-Lennard Struff (@jl_struff) on Jun 1, 2020 at 7:41am PDT

Dominic Thiem took in a birds-eye view of Vienna.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

above Vienna

A post shared by Dominic Thiem (@domithiem) on May 27, 2020 at 10:10am PDT

Grigor Dimitrov camped outside in Indian Wells.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Am I the last player still in Indian Wells? #castaway

A post shared by Grigor Dimitrov (@grigordimitrov) on May 30, 2020 at 9:38am PDT

Andrey Rublev rejoiced at being able to get back on court.

So happy to be back on court ??

— Andrey Rublev (@AndreyRublev97) June 1, 2020

Bob Bryan looked back on his maiden Grand Slam doubles crown with Mike Bryan at 2003 Roland Garros.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

During this week, it’s been hard not to reminisce about the memorable times we had at @rolandgarros. Here’s a few pics from ‘03 when the dreams of two skinny 25 year olds came true. #rg20 #rolandgarros . . . . ?: Getty Images

A post shared by Bob Bryan (@bryanbros) on May 31, 2020 at 5:34am PDT

Ivo Karlovic hit his first batch of serves in more than two months.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

First serves after weeks of isolation and shingles and not wanting to play and..

A post shared by Ivo Karlovic (@ivokarlovic) on May 29, 2020 at 6:02pm PDT

Stan Wawrinka couldn’t decide on which ice cream pop he wanted, so he finished both of them.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Life is like an ice cream … Enjoy it before it melts !! ?⛰☀️?⌛️??‍♂️ #doublethefun #mondaymood #lovelife #enjoy #stantheman

A post shared by Stanislas Wawrinka (@stanwawrinka85) on Jun 1, 2020 at 10:18am PDT

Editor’s Note: But for the COVID-19 pandemic, Roland Garros would now be underway. During the next two weeks, ATPTour.com will look back on memorable matches and happenings at the clay-court Grand Slam, which tournament organisers are now hoping to stage in September.

Roland Garros was a perpetual struggle for Pete Sampras throughout his career. The American arrived in 1996 having won every other Grand Slam at least once, but had yet to produce a memorable run in Paris. Despite being the top seed that year, the serve-and-volleyer had lost seven of his past 10 clay-court matches and many critics didn’t even consider him an outside favourite to win.

But buoyed by the memory of his late coach Tim Gullikson, who passed away that April from brain cancer, Sampras produced his best run in Paris. He powered through a brutal draw, weathering five-set matches against two-time champion Sergi Bruguera in the second round and fellow American Todd Martin in the third round, before facing another all-American clash in the quarter-finals against two-time champion Jim Courier.

It was Courier who stood across the net when Sampras broke down in tears during their 1995 Australian Open quarter-final, just days after Gullikson received his diagnosis. Sampras rallied from two sets down to win that clash and, fittingly, did so again on Court Philippe Chatrier. With the crowd urging him on, Sampras reached his first Roland Garros semi-final by battling past Courier 6-7(4), 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.

“It was time to step up. I knew that’s what Tim would have wanted me to do,” Sampras wrote in his autobiography, A Champion’s Mind. “The Parisians are astute fans and tennis aesthetes… They were well aware that I had just lost Tim and their sympathy for me was obvious. Their press was all over the story. Tim had just died, yet because of all the publicity and endless questions, he was more alive in my mind than at any other time since he became ill.”

Sampras was able to adjust in the last three sets, keeping the ball away from Courier’s lethal forehand and focussing their rallies on backhand exchanges. He cleaned up his net game and increased his first-serve percentage, firing an ace out wide on match point to prevail after well over three hours of play.

Courier questioned Sampras’ level of exhaustion during the match and hinted at gamesmanship afterwards, wondering aloud how his opponent could appear to have no energy and still continue to blast aces. The top seed brushed off those comments, but cited his dominance in their ATP Head2Head series (16-4) while speaking the following year to Sports Illustrated and said that “he’s pissed that I beat him every time”.

Repeated five-set matches took their toll on Sampras and he quickly bowed out to eventual champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov in the semi-finals. But inspired by his performance on his most challenging surface, Sampras dominated the second half of 1996 and finished as year-end No. 1 after prevailing at the US Open and Nitto ATP Finals.

When Marcelo Melo landed in Brazil after winning Roland Garros in 2015, he was greeted by fans holding signs and waiting television reporters. He had just made history in Paris, becoming the first Brazilian man to win a Grand Slam doubles title.

“To be winning there in front of many Brazilians there for my first Grand Slam, I was on another planet,” Melo told ATPTour.com. “I was very happy. That was very special for me.”

Entering that Roland Garros with partner Ivan Dodig, Melo had played the tournament on eight previous occasions. Twice, he had reached the quarter-finals. But the Brazilian-Croatian team lost only one set en route to the final, in which they played American legends Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan.

It was a special opportunity for Melo, who nearly two decades earlier watched as countryman Gustavo Kuerten became the first Brazilian Grand Slam champion at 1997 Roland Garros.

“After he won, everybody was in the streets wearing his clothes. It was huge, huge news here in Brazil. Everybody was talking about tennis,” Melo said. “I was in a tournament playing juniors and everybody went to the same room to see the match. Everybody was unbelievably happy. Everybody loves Guga here in Brazil. The way he is inside the court, outside the court, for us it was very special for a Brazilian to win the French Open.”

When Melo walked onto Court Philippe Chatrier, Kuerten was in the front row.

“It was cool when I saw him there, he was very close… He was shouting sometimes what to do, to be calm,” Melo said. “At one point it put a little bit of pressure to see him there, but I knew him before. I spent a couple times [with him] and we even played doubles together one time at a Challenger… He wanted to give me good energy. He was trying to help as much as he could and I was very happy for him to be there watching most of the match.”

There wasn’t only the pressure of competing in a Grand Slam final, but playing the top-seeded twins, who were already two-time Roland Garros champions.

“The Bryans stopped me a couple times before and after [that match] in finals. To play against them, we were losing a set and a break down. They were playing at a very high level in that moment,” Melo said. “To beat them in the final to win my first Grand Slam, this was huge for us here in Brazil as well because everyone knows how big the Bryans are for doubles.”

Dodig and Melo rallied past the Bryan Brothers 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 7-5 to clinch the title. Since then, Melo won 2017 Wimbledon with Lukasz Kubot, and countryman Bruno Soares claimed two major trophies in 2016 alongside Jamie Murray. Bur for Melo, his 2015 Roland Garros run will always have a special place in his heart.

“Sometimes you dream about it, but you don’t actually know how it is after,” Melo said. “When I came back I started to process actually what I had done.”

With 12 titles to his name, Rafael Nadal is the most successful player in Roland Garros history. Apart from leaving an indelible mark in Paris, he has provided countless memorable moments throughout the years.

ATPTour.com takes a look back at five of his biggest highlights at this event.

To Paris On Crutches
Two injuries delayed Nadal’s Roland Garros debut. In 2003, he hurt his right elbow while training in Manacor. The following year, he picked up a stress fracture in his left foot during his win in Estoril against Richard Gasquet.

Nadal’s agent, Carlos Costa, convinced Nadal to visit two of his sponsors at 2004 Roland Garros. Although the trip was only for a couple of days, the former No. 10 in the FedEx ATP Rankings believed it would be good for Nadal to familiarise himself with the surroundings and discover the charm of Court Philippe Chatrier.

The teenager boarded a plane with his crutches and made his way around the tournament on them. For his introduction to Court Philippe Chatrier, Nadal went to the top of the stands with Costa.

“We went to watch a Robredo match and [Nadal] was only able to stay there for 10 minutes,” Costa recalled. “He couldn’t be in the stands instead of on the court. That was when I realised he was a champion.

“On the street, without me asking, he told me he couldn’t be there any longer. He said that he was broken because it wasn’t his turn to win, that he would have to win when he played there for the first time.”

On 5 June 2005, Nadal climbed into one of the boxes in the stadium to celebrate with this team after beating Mariano Puerta 6-7(6), 6-3, 6-1, 7-5 to win his first crown in Paris. The critics labelled him as the favourite, but the victory was still extraordinary for the 19-year-old.

“I told you I would do it!”, Nadal shouted to Costa when it was his turn for a high-five in the stands.

Zidane & The First Title
Rafael Nadal collected his first Coupe des Mousquetaires from the hands of Zinedine Zidane, the French football legend and Real Madrid’s current manager. For Nadal, well-known for his love of football, it was hugely exciting to receive his first Roland Garros trophy from Zidane.

Back in the locker room, Nadal was drinking a soft drink. He had a short conversation with Jaime Lissavetzky, then-Secretary of State for Sport in Jose Luis Rodríguez Zapatero’s government in Spain. Later, still dressed in his green sleeveless t-shirt and white pirate pants he had worn in the match against Puerta, the player sat on a wooden bench with the trophy as his team continued to recall moments from the match.

Two special guests then approached Nadal to congratulate him and have their photo taken with him: 1977 Roland Garros champion Guillermo Villas and Gustavo Kuerten, former No. 1 and three-time champion in Paris (1997, 2000, 2001).

Mats Wilander, another three-time champion in Paris (1982, 1985, 1988) also asked for a photo. The Swede had been the last player to win the tournament on his first attempt before Nadal accomplished the feat.

But nobody in the room, not even Nadal himself, could imagine on that afternoon that they had just witnessed the birth of the best tennis player of all time on clay.

Monday Final
With Nadal looking to break the record for most titles won in Paris with his seventh Roland Garros crown, rain pushed the end of his 2012 final against Novak Djokovic to Monday.

The match was delayed that evening in Paris as Nadal led Djokovic 6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 1-2. However, the Serbian was in the midst of a comeback after winning eight consecutive games from 0-2 in the third set.

Nadal was unable to sleep that night or calm the butterflies in his stomach as he lay in his room. It was almost midnight and Nadal was still restless, his mind on Djokovic’s comeback.

In a desperate attempt to relax, Nadal opened his computer and started watching Dragon Ball, the successful cartoon series inspired by Akira Toriyama’s manga. He managed to stop his mind from churning and was able to fall asleep.

Heavy rain meant the match was restarted on Monday at 13:00. Nadal won back the service break in the fourth set and prevailed 6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 to win his seventh Coupe des Mousquetaires, surpassing Bjorn Borg’s record to become the most prolific winner in the tournament’s history.

“Call An Ambulance!”
After holding the Coupe des Mousquetaires for the ninth time at 2014 Roland Garros by defeating Djokovic 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-4, Nadal climbed into his team’s box to celebrate. When he reached Toni Nadal, his uncle and coach, the Spaniard covered his mouth and whispered into his ear that he needed an ambulance.

“He had been having cramps since the third set and he asked me to call an ambulance,” Toni explained. “I spoke to Angel Ruiz Cotorro [Nadal’s doctor] because he told me he didn’t have any saline solution. Afterwards, he went to see the doctor and he got better.

“Rafael was worse than Djokovic because he had cramps. Playing for an hour with cramps makes you hesitant all the time. You know that you have to run more than normal, that you have to be cautious. And that’s why the match required a few moments of brilliance. He knew that if we didn’t win it in the fourth set, it would be difficult to do so in the fifth.”

Nadal reiterated this when he spoke to journalists after the match.

“This was the French Open in which I’ve suffered the most physically,” Nadal said. “There have been moments when I felt very empty, very tired. I don’t know what would’ve happened in the fifth set. I guess I would’ve tried to find strength from somewhere, but I was really in a bad way and very much at my physical limit.

“Passion, motivation, the desire to win… All of that keeps you on court with the mentality that you want to do it. I don’t know what it was, but for whatever reason, I managed to handle it. I was able to suffer and find solutions. I coped with the physically difficult moments with very high-quality tennis. In one way or another, I found a way to win this title.”

A Replica Of The Coupe Des Mousquetaires
To celebrate Nadal’s 10th title at 2017 Roland Garros, a historic moment in the world of sport, the tournament decided to present him with a replica of the Coupe des Mousquetaires with “Rafa Nadal’s Tenth” engraved on it, something that has never been done for any other champion.

The tournament organisers had decided that the Spaniard should be the first player of all time to keep a Coupe des Mousquetaires, having won it on 10 occasions.

Normally, Roland Garros champions pose with the trophy after the final and the next day at an iconic part of the city, but the one they take home is a small replica. However, the tournament organisers decided to make a life-size replica of the Coupe des Mousquetaires that Nadal could display it in the museum of the Rafa Nadal Academy.

In addition, Roland Garros wanted to recognise Nadal’s 10th victory with a couple of special moments during the ceremony. Firstly, the fans in the stands held up cards to form an enormous mosaic that read “Bravo Rafa”, together with a huge 10 in reference to his 10 titles at the tournament. Toni Nadal was also given the honour of making a surprise appearance on court to present his nephew with a special trophy, breaking from the usual protocol.

Editor’s Note: But for the COVID-19 pandemic, Roland Garros would now be underway. During the next two weeks ATPTour.com will look back on memorable matches and happenings at the clay-court Grand Slam, which tournament organisers are now hoping to stage in September.

Jose Higueras had mixed feelings as he watched his charge, Michael Chang, hit an underhand serve against top seed Ivan Lendl in the fourth round of Roland Garros in 1989. At the time, the coach didn’t realise that would become one of the most iconic moments in tennis history. Higueras didn’t even know if Chang would finish the match.

“It was about survival,” Higueras told ATPTour.com. “You do whatever you need to do to survive another day.”

Chang, a 17-year-old American, was competing at the clay-court Grand Slam for just the second time. He’d lost only one set en route to the Round of 16, including a 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 win against Pete Sampras. But his next opponent, Lendl, was a three-time Roland Garros champion, who was 36-2 on the season.

Lendl’s aggressive baseline game overpowered the teen for the first two sets, which the World No. 1 earned 6-4, 6-4.

“At the beginning, Michael was not too comfortable with the whole thing, competing on the centre court and playing Ivan Lendl,” Higueras said. “But as the match went on, he got more comfortable and started playing better and better, and Ivan got a little nervous. As the match got closer, Ivan got a little more tense, and Michael was just doing what he normally did, which was playing until the match was over.”

Higueras first began working with Chang towards the end of 1988, and he remembers a conversation they had about the American’s clay potential.

“I said, ‘Michael, I think if you keep working hard, you have a good chance to do well at the French Open in a few years,’” Higueras recalled. “He said, ‘Why not next year?’”

That same attitude carried into his match against Lendl. Chang was down, but Lendl didn’t eliminate his belief. Lendl’s power wasn’t intimidating him, either.

“Michael was a great counter-puncher, so he liked the pace. He used his speed well and was very smart,” Higueras said. “One thing he improved a lot in not a very long time was the fact that he used his speed to be more offensive. We all know Ivan had a big forehand, so it was pretty straightforward, really: He just played his forehand to his backhand.

“It was more about how Ivan was going to play, in my opinion, than how Michael was going to play. Ivan was going to be in charge of more of the points and dictating more. Once Michael got his teeth into the match, Ivan got pretty tense and that was a big equaliser for the whole thing.”

As Chang raised his level in the third and fourth sets, he began cramping. At the same time, Lendl’s level dropped, and Chang was on the comeback trail.

Chang earned an immediate break in the fifth set, but the cramps began to take their toll. Lendl kept clawing back each deficit he faced, but the American would rush the net, throw up pace-less balls high over the net, and do anything to keep the top seed from gaining rhythm or confidence.

At 4-3, 15/30, Chang was desperate. His legs were locking up, and he hit the only underhand serve of his career. Lendl approached the net, and Chang hit a forehand pass that his opponent couldn’t handle.

“Michael is a great competitor, and he was going to try to do whatever he could, anything legal, to actually win the match,” Higueras said. “What was going through my head was that Ivan was pretty tight.”

Higueras thought it was a good sign to see how tight Lendl was, but he wasn’t convinced the cramps wouldn’t defeat Chang.

“Sometimes you can get cramps and you can fight your way through,” Higueras said. “But sometimes it hits you very hard and you cannot play anymore.”

Fans around the world, including former NBA superstar Dirk Nowitzki, who was 10 at the time, were on the edge of their seats as Chang won that point and eventually held that service game,.

“It was fantastic. I think everybody was rooting for Michael at the time because he was the underdog. You could see how exhausted he was at the end. That was sort of his breakthrough,” Nowitzki told ATPTour.com. “Everybody always roots for the underdog, so I wanted Michael to win, even though I liked Ivan Lendl growing up.”

Lendl couldn’t take advantage of Chang’s cramps. In the next game, on match point, the teen stood just feet from the service box to return the World No. 1’s second serve.

“I just stood up there and tried to bother his concentration,” Chang said. “I just tried to do whatever I could.”

Lendl double faulted, and Chang triumphed 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.

“Give him credit,” Lendl said. “It’s very difficult, if not impossible, to play with cramps.”

The job wasn’t done, as Chang was only into the quarter-finals. He defeated Ronald Agenor and Andrei Chesnokov in four sets each to set a final showdown against World No. 3 Stefan Edberg, who at the time was a three-time major champion.

“I actually thought he had a really good chance of winning that match because of the gamestyles,” said Higueras, adding Chang liked hitting against a target, and Edberg frequented the net.

Chang rallied from two sets to one down to become the youngest male Grand Slam champion in history, beating the Swede 6-1, 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.

“That’s really when [the Lendl match] became a bigger thing for him. The match became a lot more important once he won the French Open,” Higueras said. “We wouldn’t talk about this as much if he didn’t win.”