There’s more to play for at this year’s French Open than just the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen. With the Rio Olympics less than 80 days away, this year’s French Open also serves as the last chance for players to earn ranking points to shore up their Olympic qualifying prospects. The ITF will use the singles and doubles rankings as of the Monday after the French Open to determine who’s in and who’s out. For the players who are still on the bubble, that adds a completely different set of pressures in Paris.
Ranking is just one element of the qualifying process. A player must also be in good standing with her federation and, fulfilled her Fed Cup responsibilities. The Top 56 eligible players will qualify for Rio, with a maximum of four singles players from a single country. Read more about the qualifying rules here.
On the bubble for Olympic qualification…
Below qualification line…
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57
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Kovinic, Danka
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Montenegro
|
1035
|
|
58
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Flipkens, Kirsten
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Belgium
|
1025
|
|
59
|
Larsson, Johanna
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Sweden
|
1023
|
|
60*
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Goerges, Julia
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Germany
|
975
|
|
61*
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Barthel, Mona
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Germany
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975
|
|
62
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Bondarenko, Kateryna
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Ukraine
|
973
|
|
63
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Zhang, Shuai
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China
|
973
|
|
64*
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Falconi, Irina
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United States
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965
|
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65 *
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McHale, Christina
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United States
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960
|
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66
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Lucic-Baroni, Mirjana
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Croatia
|
950
|
|
67*
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Brengle, Madison
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United States
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950
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|
68*
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Allertova, Denisa
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Czech Republic
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947
|
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69*
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Lepchenko, Varvara
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United States
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937
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70
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Hibino, Nao
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Japan
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936
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*outside country’s Top 4
Britain’s Heather Watson said she can’t stop thinking about the qualifying process. Currently ranked at No.54, Watson has been on cusp of the Top 56 for a few weeks but with so many points on offer in Paris, the threat of being overtaken in the rankings is real.
“I’m borderline and I need to move 10 more places and I’m in for sure,” Watson told WTA Insider. “I didn’t have a great clay court season last year so I’m hoping to make the most of the next couple of weeks.”
Speaking at the Mutua Madrid Open earlier this month, Watson said every match looms large. “Last night I slept terrible because I’m just thinking about the match,” she said. “Because in my mind it’s not just about this match to move into the next round. It’s a lot more on it right now.”
For Daria Gavrilova, the qualifying process is completely out of her hands. The 22-year-old Australian is in the midst of her best season so far but her recent change in citizenship from Russia to Australia has complicated her eligibility status and as of now, she will not qualify unless the ITF rules in her favor on her appeal.
“I really want to play,” Gavrilova said. “I really do. So I would be very disappointed. I’ll probably cry.”
Ranked No.45, Gavrilova has put together a strong clay season after making the Round of 16 at the Australian Open, and could play the role of spoiler when the tournament begins in Paris. She’s trying not to let the Olympics weigh on her.
“I don’t think about it a lot because it’s not up to me,” she said. “I’m just waiting for the decision. I can’t do anything about it.”
Elena Vesnina has the dual task of trying to qualify for both singles and doubles. Currently ranked No.47, Vesnina is well inside the cut-off thanks to her run to the Charleston final last month, but she’s currently the No.6 Russian. Only the top four Russians will qualify for the singles event. With Maria Sharapova’s Olympic participation in doubt, Vesnina is in the position of trying to chase down No.32 Daria Kasatkina to earn a singles berth.
“I’m not trying to think about it,” Vesnina said. “You cannot control everything. It’s going to be too much in your head.
“First of all you have to think about your singles game and your results there. For doubles you have to play match by match. What’s going to happen, you don’t know because there are really good teams right now and everyone is looking at the Olympics. You see a lot of teams pairing from the same country. That’s why it’s going to be very exciting.”
Vesnina is a two-time Olympic veteran, having competed in doubles in Beijing and London. She said the predominant Olympic chatter in the locker room is from players trying to figure out their best doubles options. In her case, despite playing with Kasatkina for most of the last six months, she’s repaired with Ekaterina Makarova to prepare for Rio.
“We played together for four years. We don’t need to waste our team spirit. It’s always great to play with someone new like Dasha, but it’s not enough time. I’m still learning with Dasha what she’s doing in doubles. She’s still a young kid and she’s improving. Maybe later I’m going to play with her.”
Vesnina and Makarova have Olympic experience as well, having made the quarterfinals in London. Just last week they made the final in Rome.
“I think from the last Olympics I know a little bit what the numbers were,” Vesnina said, referring to the doubles cut-off, which looks at the combined ranking (singles or doubles) of the players. “I’m pretty sure the [combined ranking cut] has to be inside the Top 60. In London it was around 56. Both of you have to be Top 20, Top 25.”
For her part, Kasatkina hasn’t had the clay season she would have wanted so far, winning just one match on European clay. That has opened the door for Vesnina to make a move in Paris, but the youngster is more concerned with the state of her game than the Olympics.
“For sure to play Olympics would be big,” Kasatkina said. “But I’m just 19. If I play it’s perfect. But if not, I will hopefully have a few Olympics. I am focused on the tournaments and my game. If I play good these tournaments on clay it’s good and I will get in. If no, not a big problem.”
Like the Russians, the Americans also find themselves with an incredible amount of depth. As the clay season began, all eyes were on who would get that fourth Olympic spot and it appeared to be coming down to Madison Keys and CoCo Vandeweghe, with Keys trying to hold off her compatriot. With her run to the final in Rome, Keys has virtually secured her spot on the team, leaping ahead of Sloane Stephens to be the No.3 American at No.17.
“I feel like it’s just added pressure,” Keys said.
That the Olympics are even happening this summer still escapes her sometimes and she’s done well not to think about it.
“Obviously I really want to play and it would mean so much to me. But at the same time I feel like if I’m sitting there counting points I’m just going to freak out. As my Grandpa says, ‘everything happens for a reason,’ so I’m just going to go for that.”
A quarterfinalist in London four years ago, Germany’s Sabine Lisicki finds herself on the outside looking in as she heads to Paris. Ranked No.50, the 26-year-old looked like a lock for the Olympics when the season began, but she’s since been passed by Stuttgart finalist Laura Siegemund and Anna-Lena Friedsam. Annika Beck currently holds the fourth German spot at No.42.
Lisicki said her goal throughout her life has been to win a Slam, not the Olympics. Like most players, she has a fatalistic approach to her Olympic chances.
“I love to represent my country. I love to fight for my country. I’ve always loved it. I love playing at the Olympics at London. As soon as I found out it was going to be in Rio I really wanted to play. I can only do my best on court. I really want to go there.
“But I can’t start thinking too much about it because then it starts to hinder you. It was a tough time with injury. It’s bad timing in a way but if it’s not meant to happen so be it. I’ll probably have a chance in four years. I’m thinking bigger picture now than just the Olympics. My goal is still to win a Grand Slam. Nothing will change about that if I go to the Olympics or not.”
Roberta Vinci agreed. The Olympics hold a different place in tennis’ pecking order. “Probably if you think one big tournament in tennis you think Wimbledon, Roland Garros. Not the Olympics. If you want to swim, the Olympics is unbelievable. But of course, the Olympics is still fun. I hope to win a medal.”
Set to play in her last Olympic games, Vinci is a three-time Olympic veteran, having played her first Olympic games in Athens in 2004. For her, the Olympics have rarely felt like anything other than another tournament.
“If you think about the Olympic games you think ‘Oh, wow, the Olympics!'” she said. “But when I played in London, Beijing, and Athens – I played already three times – they are so quick. You go, you stay, yeah if you see the opening ceremony it’s nice. But in London I played Kim Clijsters first match at 11am. The day before was the opening ceremony and I [didn’t go.] So for me it was like another tournament.”
“The Federation booked an apartment near Wimbledon. It was not a ‘real’ Olympics. It was like a Fed Cup. So I hope this time it will be a little different. But right now if I think about the Olympics…I don’t know. We’ll see.”
All photos courtesy of Getty Images.
