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.

Before John Isner and Nicolas Mahut dominated world headlines with their legendary 2010 Wimbledon encounter, Fabrice Santoro and Arnaud Clement rewrote the record books at 2004 Roland Garros by playing the then-longest recorded match in history.

After six hours and 33 minutes, the 31-year-old Santoro won their all-French first-round battle 6-4, 6-3, 6-7(5), 3-6, 16-14. Their clash, which spanned two days, broke the existing match length record in Paris by a staggering 62 minutes.

“It was a beautiful match,” Santoro said. “It was a great match on a great court in Paris and probably the best crowd ever for us. But aside from the record, I’m happy to know that at the age I’ve reached, I can still play tennis for six hours.”

Having saved a match point on Monday before darkness halted play at 5-5 in the fifth set, Santoro erased another one when play resumed on Tuesday. With neither player possessing a powerful shot to end points quickly, their rallies were grueling games of chess that featured plenty of spins and angles.

Santoro had difficulty breathing in the final game and found himself down 0/40 when serving for the match at 15-14. But after clawing back to Deuce, he fired an ace and a backhand passing shot winner before collapsing to the ground in delight. As the crowd rose in unison to give both men a standing ovation, Santoro buried his face in a towel and wept.

“This morning, I strung just two rackets,” Santoro said. “I prepared one litre of drinks before the match. I said, ‘Okay, maybe you will play 10 or 15 minutes, maybe half an hour.’ And we played two hours.”

The Frenchman returned the next day and scored another five-set win against Irakli Labadze before running out of steam in the third round against fellow Frenchman Olivier Mutis. His epic battle with Clement is currently the fifth-longest recorded match in history.

Philipp Kohlschreiber has kept busy at home in Germany during the ATP Tour’s suspension of play due to COVID-19.

Whether riding a tractor, going for a walk with his dog in the forest, or riding one of his wife’s horses, the German has certainly gotten to do things he rarely has had time for during his career.

“In my youth I spent a lot of time on a farm because we lived in the countryside and my friends had farms. I used to ride with someone who drove the tractor digging up potatoes,” Kohlschreiber told ATP Uncovered presented by Peugeot. “This reminds me a bit of my youth and now I’m able to roll the ground in the fields. It’s fun at first, and then it starts to get boring.

“Being at home during such a compulsory break is interesting. Maybe I’ll enjoy it an incredible amount. I can try out new things that I would simply never do otherwise, which is fun.”

Kohlschreiber has cleaned up after the horses, fed them, and more. Although it’s unclear when, Kohlschreiber knows this won’t be a permanent change. He’s eager to get back on court.

At 36, Kohlschreiber knows he’s closer to the end of his career than the beginning. Currently World No. 74, the eight-time ATP Tour titlist hasn’t been inside the Top 50 in nearly a year. But he’s not ready to hang up his racquet yet.

“Maybe I’ll just wake up one day and say, ‘Okay, today is the right day to stop,’” Kohlschreiber said. “I don’t want to announce it in advance that a certain tournament will be my last. That’s just not me. I would actually like it to happen spontaneously.”

The German says there will be no farewell tour, and he will ultimately make his decision based on a gut feeling. But COVID-19 won’t make that call for him.

“I will appreciate my last year or two on Tour much more [because of it],” Kohlschreiber said.

He has proven he still has great tennis left in him. The former World No. 16 beat World No. 1 Novak Djokovic at last year’s BNP Paribas Open.

“Maybe it would also be nice to say, ‘Okay, I’m fighting back into the Top 20’, and then call it a day, say, ‘Thanks, that’s it,’ and I’ve once again proven that I could still do it,” Kohlschreiber said. “After all, at some point, there will be life after tennis.”

That future might involve the sport Kohlschreiber has played professionally since 2001.

“All of my know-how is in tennis. Maybe helping young players would be interesting. I can already feel this when I’m practising with sparring partners and future pro players in Munich,” Kohlschreiber said. “I’m already noticing things which I would like to tell and share with them: things that I think they could still improve on, or maybe do differently. I didn’t have that feeling 10 years ago. I didn’t care back then. Maybe looking back at myself I was more selfish. But already now, just being a bit older, I feel I have developed an eye for it, and that appeals to me.”

Michael Chang made his Grand Slam breakthrough at 1989 Roland Garros after overcoming severe cramps to defeat Ivan Lendl en route to winning the title. Twelve years later, he found himself on the same court staring at another cramping American teenager in Andy Roddick.

Their five-set, second-round clash was seen as a changing of the guard in American tennis as the 18-year-old Roddick prevailed 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-7(5), 7-5 after three hours and 50 minutes. Roddick, then No. 48 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, grimaced and hopped on one foot between points in the fifth set, even leaning on a linesman for support. But he also broke the record for most aces in a match at Roland Garros (37) since the ATP started keeping stats in 1991.

After Chang hit a backhand wide on match point, Roddick broke down in tears as he hobbled to the net. The crowd rose in unison and began chanting his name. Despite the disappointing defeat, the always classy Chang imparted a few words of wisdom as they shook hands.

“One of the cool moments was when we shook hands and Michael said, ‘Listen, I’ve cramped. I’ve done this before. Here’s what you need to do,’” Roddick recalled to Tennis Channel. “He went point by point as to how I could best recover. It was a real lesson learned on how to prepare yourself going into the match.”

The similarities between Roddick’s victory and Chang’s heroic comeback in 1989 weren’t lost on the rising American. He cited the match with Lendl as one of his biggest motivators growing up.

“It was going through my head while I was out there,” Roddick said. “That match was one of my first memories of tennis. I went out after it and played for three hours. It really inspired me.”

Although Chang’s best years were behind him in the 2000s, beating him on red clay was still a difficult task. He was full of praise for Roddick afterwards and wanted to see his opponent continue forward in the draw.

“At that point, I figured that I’m out of the tournament and he’s an American. All Americans want other Americans to do well,” Chang said of his advice at the net. “Obviously it was an incredible match… It was ridiculous how high and deep his serve was kicking.”

Roddick was forced to retire midway through his next match with Lleyton Hewitt due to a strained left thigh. Although the American struggled in Paris throughout his career and never reached the quarter-finals, he would go on to capture the 2003 US Open title and finish that season as year-end No. 1.

Staring down Rafael Nadal on clay is one of the biggest challenges of modern sport. Doing so on Court Philippe Chatrier, Roland Garros’ centre court, has proven nearly mission impossible.

But in the first round at 2011 Roland Garros, John Isner became the first man to take the Spaniard to a fifth set in Paris. Nadal had five Coupes des Mousquetaires under his belt and a 38-1 record in the French capital — his only loss at Roland Garros had come against Robin Soderling in 2009 — but the big-serving American pushed the lefty to the brink.

Although Nadal would eventually see off the Isner threat, it certainly rocked Nadal’s boat at a venue where he was used to calm waters.

The battle was the epitome of tension, an even match that the Spaniard eventually won 6-4, 6-7(2), 6-7(2), 6-2, 6-4. After more than four hours of hard work, the Spaniard was still fending off the American’s serve, which, even on the slow surface, proved a lethal weapon.

“It was like a penalty shootout”, Nadal reflected. “Isner’s serve is practically unstoppable at the moment. In the tie-break, you’re playing under huge pressure all the time.”

The American, who connected with 13 aces and took two one-sided tiebreaks, proved a tough nut to crack in the first round of the tournament.

Nadal was rewriting the history of the event and there was one chapter he did not want to add to the book — no Roland Garros champion has lost in the first round the year after claiming the crown. That afternoon in Paris, challenged by his opponent’s vicious serve, the Spaniard’s reflexes and concentration were relentlessly tested.

“The matches are always very close against John because he makes you play with no room for error,” admitted the Spaniard. “At times, in the tie-breaks, I didn’t play well. I was too nervous. He was a very tough opponent for me. I would like to congratulate him on a great match.”

Nadal found another gear when he needed it the most. With his back against the wall and no room for error against an intimidating rival, the Mallorcan produced a great stretch of focus in Paris. In the fourth set, he did not make an unforced error, forcing a deciding set.

With no final-set tiebreak, there were plenty of nerves for everyone involved. But the Spaniard drew on the confidence from his strong fourth set and rode that to victory.

“The way he played in the fourth and fifth set… I had never seen tennis like that,” Isner said. “That’s why he’s the World No. 1 and one of the best players of all-time”.

The sheer effort from the players is testament to the demands of the match.

“At 30/30 in the final game, I needed oxygen. I nearly collapsed. My legs were gone,” Isner said.

Nadal was pushed to the limit, but the champion battled back even harder.

Rafael Nadal released Monday a video on his social media showing the world the first footage of himself back at practice in Mallorca at his Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar.

Happy to be back on my practices and happy for the kids at the @rnadalacademy who can also play. Here some footage from today ????? pic.twitter.com/aPtZzj30ks

— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) May 25, 2020

“Hello everyone, here I am, finally back on court. Happy to be back to my practices,” Nadal said. “I’m super happy, too, that the kids can practise again here at the Rafa Nadal Academy. They are happy, and that’s the most important thing.”

Under normal circumstances, Nadal would be in Paris, chasing a 13th Roland Garros title. But due to the spread of COVID-19, the clay-court Grand Slam is not being held as scheduled, and tournament organisers are now hoping to stage the event later this year. Nadal first posted an image of himself back at practice on 22 May.

Here I am, the first pictures I am posting for you on court.
This is my practice earlier today at @rnadalacademy #BackOnCourt #BabolatFamily ?????? pic.twitter.com/x7tzgLj9pc

— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) May 22, 2020

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.

It was always going to be a question of when and not if Marat Safin announced his arrival on Tour. That moment came in his Grand Slam debut at 1998 Roland Garros, when the 18-year-old Russian qualifier stunned Andre Agassi 5-7, 7-5, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 and handed the American his first opening-round defeat in Paris.

Agassi was enjoying a career resurgence and had already climbed from No. 110 to No. 20 that year in the FedEx ATP Rankings. But he struggled to find his footing that day, committing 82 unforced errors and allowing the fearless Russian to dictate their baseline rallies.

“He didn’t serve so well the last three sets,” Safin said. “But his other shots were very good – forehand, backhand. So it doesn’t matter if he serves good or serves bad.”

Safin, then No. 116 in the rankings, already possessed some of the biggest groundstrokes in the game. Although he was still learning how to reign his power in, his knockout punches landed on Court Suzanne Lenglen as the crowd gasped at the speed of his winners.

Meanwhile, Agassi lamented not playing more aggressively against his opponent. He cited a shoulder injury and said he didn’t feel comfortable swinging out in the latter stages of the match.

“My normal play would be taking a lot of those balls in the air and finishing the point,” Agassi said. “With my shoulder hurting, I was letting those balls drop. I just didn’t close them out.”

Safin’s draw didn’t exactly open up after his breakthrough win. After learning he would face defending champion and No. 8 seed Gustavo Kuerten in the next round, the teenager mentally booked a flight back home.

“I’m not ready to win this tournament,” Safin declared. “I’m very happy to be in the second round, but for sure I will not beat Kuerten.”

But the qualifier did just that, stunning Kuerten in five sets and going on to reach the fourth round. Two years later, Safin secured his first Grand Slam at the 2000 US Open and became World No. 1 two months later.

Agassi’s lowest moment in Paris would be followed by his greatest one. He returned the following year and scored a five-set win over Andrei Medvedev in the championship match to complete his Career Grand Slam, joining Rod Laver as the only men in the Open Era at that time to accomplish the feat.

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

Marco Trungelliti began his 2018 ATP Tour season with two goals. Alongside his ambition to enjoy a breakout year, the Argentine also wanted to reach the main draw at Roland Garros for the third straight season.

Trungelliti entered the tournament with confidence, having won eight consecutive matches from qualifying to claim his maiden ATP Challenger Tour title in Barletta in April. But the 5’10” right-hander fell just short of his goal, losing in three sets to Hubert Hurkacz in the final qualifying round.

“Even though I had come this close to one of my goals, I was still at peace with the outcome,” said Trungelliti. “I felt secure about my level of play and just happy with what I had accomplished so far [in 2018].”

Following his loss, Trungelliti eventually made it back to Barcelona on a delayed flight, where he had relocated a few months earlier with his wife Nadir. His mother, Susi, his grandmother, Lela, and his brother, Andre, were also waiting there. His family had made the trip from Argentina, with plans to see him play in Paris.

Plan B was soon created, with sightseeing, trips to the beach and barbecue food at the top of the agenda. But one conversation would soon throw those ideas out of the window. During a call with his coach on Sunday morning, the Argentine was told he could still make the main draw in Paris as a lucky loser.

“Grandma, change of plans, pack your bags, we’re going to Paris,” said Trungelliti.

With train strikes and the risk of further flight delays, Trungelliti made the decision to take the trip in his rented Seat Ibiza. With his mother and grandmother in the back seats, Trungelliti and his brother shared driving duties for the 10-hour trip to the French capital. All he had to do was sign in the following morning and he would book his place in the first round against Bernard Tomic at 11am on Court 9.

After arriving at his hotel around midnight, the 28-year-old managed just five hours of sleep before his encounter with the former Top 20 star. But that didn’t stop him from earning a memorable victory and a place in the second round for the third straight year.

With his 88-year-old grandmother sitting courtside for the first time, unable to keep score, Trungelliti moved past the Aussie in four sets.

“This isn’t the first Grand Slam match I’ve won, but what makes it so special is having my family around me to witness this marvellous moment… I don’t know if what I’ve accomplished is that big a deal; what’s important is that I’ve enjoyed every moment of what led up to this with my family by my side,” said Trungelliti.

Trungelliti’s journey was ended in the second round. The Argentine lost in straight sets to Marco Cecchinato, who went on to defeat Novak Djokovic to reach his maiden Grand Slam semi-final.

From one Marco to another, both players will look back on their remarkable 2018 trips to Paris with fond memories.

Roland Garros would typically make its mark at this time of year as the only Grand Slam to begin main draw action on Sunday. Although the tournament was moved this year to September because of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are still plenty of unforgettable memories to reflect on.

From Rafael Nadal’s first Grand Slam title to Andre Agassi, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic completing their respective career Grand Slams, ATPTour.com looks back on some of the greatest moments of this event.

1968: A New Beginning
The 1968 Roland Garros tournament marked the first Grand Slam tournament of the Open Era and the first major championship that allowed professionals to compete against amateurs. The final featured an all-Aussie clash between top seed Rod Laver and second seed Ken Rosewall, who hadn’t competed in a Grand Slam since 1962 and 1956, respectively. Rosewall held off a mid-match comeback from Laver to prevail 6-3, 6-1, 2-6, 6-2 and lift his second title in Paris after a 15-year wait.

Laver would get revenge on his countryman the following year, scoring a convincing straight-sets win in the final en route to achieving the calendar-year Grand Slam.

1974: Borg’s Breakthrough
Bjorn Borg made his Grand Slam debut at 1973 Roland Garros and turned heads by reaching the fourth round. The mellow Swede returned the following year and captured his first Grand Slam title, showing off supreme fitness by winning a pair of five-set matches to reach the final and rallying from two sets down to outlast Manuel Orantes 2-6, 6-7, 6-0, 6-1, 6-1. At 18 years, three months, he became the youngest male champion in tournament history at that time.

Borg would rack up five more Roland Garros titles (1975, 1978-81) and holds a 49-2 record at this event. He also achieved the legendary feat of winning three Roland Garros-Wimbledon title doubles (1978-1980) and remains one of only two male players in the Open Era (Rafael Nadal; 2008, 2010) to accomplish this.

1989: Chang’s Historic Run
More than 30 years later, sports fans still talk about Michael Chang’s legendary match in Paris. Trailing by two sets and a break in his fourth-round clash against top seed Ivan Lendl, the 17-year-old American fought through intense cramps to level the match. Unable to use his legs while serving, he shocked the crowd and his opponent in the fifth set with a desperate underarm serve that proved successful. At match point, Chang moved up to within inches of the service line and rattled Lendl enough to produce a double fault.

Seven days later, Chang beat Stefan Edberg in a five-set thriller to become the youngest-ever male Grand Slam champion. Although it would remain his only major trophy, he enjoyed a long and fruitful career that saw him earn 34 tour-level titles and peak at No. 2 in the FedEx ATP Rankings.

1997: Kuerten’s Fairyale
Gustavo Kuerten arrived at Roland Garros having played an ATP Challenger Tour event the week before. The unknown 20-year-old Brazilian, then No. 67 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, completed an improbable run by earning his first tour-level title at a Grand Slam. Kuerten took out former champion Thomas Muster and defending champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov en route to the final, then cruised past two-time winner Sergi Bruguera in the championship match.

It was the start of a love affair in Paris for the man affectionately known as “Guga”. Kuerten lifted the trophy twice more (2000-2001) and finished 2000 as year-end No. 1, cementing his status as one of the greatest South American players of all time.

1999: Agassi Completes Career Grand Slam
Although Andre Agassi was a two-time finalist at this event (1990-1991), he had endured several early exits in Paris since then. There was little indication that the World No. 12 was a title contender in 1999 based on his play in the early rounds, but he worked his way into form and defeated defending champion Carlos Moya in the fourth round on his way to the final.

Agassi brought the crowd to their feet and himself to tears by rallying from two sets down to defeat Andrei Medvedev in the championship match. He became only the fifth male player at that time, and the second in the Open Era, to win all four Grand Slams. The American went on to win the US Open that year and finish the season as year-end No. 1 for the only time in his career.

2005: Nadal’s Maiden Slam Title
A stress fracture in his left ankle prevented Rafael Nadal from making his Roland Garros debut the previous year, but he more than made up for it in 2005. The Spaniard arrived on a 17-match win streak, including Masters 1000 titles in Monte-Carlo and Rome, and celebrated his 19th birthday with a semi-final victory against top seed Roger Federer. Nadal defeated Mariano Puerta in the final, becoming the first teenager since Pete Sampras (1990 US Open) to win a major championship and joining Mats Wilander as the only male players to prevail In Paris on their first attempt.

Nadal’s maiden triumph would only be the start of his staggering dominance at this event. He’s lifted the trophy in Court Philippe Chatrier on 12 occasions (2005-2008, 2010-2014, 2017-2019) and compiled a 93-2 record.

2009: Federer Completes Career Grand Slam
Like everyone else on Tour, Federer was unable to figure out how to master Nadal at Roland Garros. The Swiss lost to him four years in a row, including the 2006-2008 finals. But when Nadal suffered a shocking fourth-round defeat in 2009 to Robin Soderling, the Swiss seized his opportunity.

Federer fought back from two sets down in his quarter-final victory over Tommy Haas and rallied from two-sets-to-one down in his semi-final against Juan Martin del Potro. He saved his best for last by convincingly beating Soderling and became the third man in the Open Era to earn a Career Grand Slam. The milestone moment also tied him with Pete Sampras for the most Grand Slam singles titles (14) and he’d break the record one month later by triumphing at Wimbledon.

2016: Djokovic Completes Slam Collection
Novak Djokovic had eight clay-court Masters 1000 titles to his name and more success against Nadal on the surface than any player on Tour, but it hadn’t translated to a title in Paris. He finished runner-up three times (2012, 2014-2015), with 2015 being one of his most disappointing moments after stunning Nadal in the quarter-finals before losing to underdog Stan Wawrinka in the championship.

When Nadal withdrew prior to his third-round match with a wrist injury, Djokovic shined in the role of tournament favourite. The Serbian cruised into the final and defeated Andy Murray in four sets to complete his Career Grand Slam. He also became the first man since Laver (1969) to hold all four majors at once and the only man in history to achieve the feat on three different surfaces.

2017: Nadal’s ‘La Decima’
Having already established himself as the greatest clay-court player of all time, nine-time champion Nadal was playing for history. He looked to become the only player in the Open Era to win 10 titles at a Grand Slam, having already reached double digits that year in Monte-Carlo and Barcelona.

Nadal produced his most dominant run at this event by dropping just 35 games across seven matches. He stormed past Wawrinka in the final to achieve the historic feat known as “La Decima”, earning his first major trophy in three years and jumping to second on the all-time list for most Grand Slam titles with 15.

2019: Nadal Rewrites History Books Again
Critics began to wonder if Nadal’s clay-court supremacy had finally ended after the Spaniard lost in his first three events on the dirt that year, but he silenced them once again. The top seed and two-time defending champion defeated Dominic Thiem in a rematch of the 2018 final for his 12th trophy in Paris. 

By winning the title, Nadal became the only player in history to win 12 singles titles at an individual Grand Slam. He followed up with his fourth US Open crown and finished the season as year-end No. 1 for the fifth time.