There is no longer any Frenchwoman in contention in the Parisian Grand Slam.
Three of them had however managed to climb to the third round, unlike last year when no tricolor representative (men and women) had reached this stage for the first time since 1968.
But after the elimination of Diane Parry on Friday, then that of Leolia Jeanjean on Saturday at the start of the day, the French chances now rest entirely on the shoulders of Gilles Simon, opposed to the Croatian Marin Cilic, and Hugo Gaston who will challenge in the evening the young Dane Holger Rune.
On Thursday, Cornet, who reached the quarter-finals earlier this year at the Australian Open, appeared to feel pain in the inside and upper left thigh at the end of her match against the Latvian. Jelena Ostapenko, 13th in the world and winner of the 2017 edition, whom she ended up beating 6-0, 1-6, 6-3, carried by the support of the public.
"it hurts my heart"
Saturday at a press conference, she revealed to suffer from a tear in the adductor.
"I couldn't move on the court. I already knew that before I got on the court. Afterwards I chose to try because it's my nature, I always try to try my luck until the end . Maybe I shouldn't have ... It was a gamble but I wanted to try. But at some point, with the pain, it just didn't make too much sense," he said. she said, stressing that this is the first time in her career that she has forfeited or abandoned a Grand Slam.
As of Friday evening, the Frenchwoman had already decided to give up the mixed doubles which she was to play with her compatriot Edouard-Roger Vasselin.
On Saturday, she appeared on the court with both thighs largely bandaged and was unable to defend her chances against Zheng.
After calling the doctor at the end of the first set, the French ended up throwing in the towel, three games later.
"What hurt me the most was perhaps not the injury, but the fact that some people dared to whistle at me when I gave up," she explained with tears in her eyes.
"Frankly it's abused, with everything I've given on the pitch for all these years. It would have been easier for me not to go on the court, not to make myself vulnerable. It's unfair, and the 'Injustice hurts,' added Cornet, pointing out that "most people probably understand what is happening to me and are sad for me. But this handful of cretins, it hurts the heart".
Zheng, who had eliminated the Romanian Simona Halep (19th), winner in 2018, in the previous round, will be opposed in the round of 16 to the world No.1 and big favorite of the tournament, Iga Swiatek, titled Porte d'Auteuil in 2020.
© 2022 AFP