Nadal, the French… 10 more or less serious questions before Roland

Because we must start to raise the tension two days before the start of Roland-Garros Roland-Garros is fast approaching. 20 Minutes is asked ten questions that will animate the fortnight Two certainties, however: the French will crash and Nadal will win Yes, this year of tennis is strange and yes, we think more of Euro 2021 than of the clay courts of Auteuil. But Roland-Garros remains Roland-Garros, and it would be wrong to neglect our Grand Slam tournament, even if, little novelt

Roland-Garros is fast approaching.

20 Minutes
is asked ten questions that will animate the fortnight
Two certainties, however: the French will crash and Nadal will win

Yes, this year of tennis is strange and yes, we think more of Euro 2021 than of the clay courts of Auteuil.

But Roland-Garros remains Roland-Garros, and it would be wrong to neglect our Grand Slam tournament, even if, little novelty, we know in advance the future winners of the men's and women's tables: Rafael Nadal and Iga Swiatek.

Apart from this unimportant detail, there are still many questions around this Roland 2021. We chose ten, just like that, at random.

You will tell us the news.

Will Federer win a match?

Without disrespecting the legend, even the most enthusiastic dare not anticipate an honorable run from Roger Federer to Roland this year.

It must be said that his return to clay after an interminable break leaves little room for optimism (6-4, 4-6, 6-4 defeat against Andujar in Geneva), nor the speech of the Swiss.

Because if the latter does not intend to make up the Porte d'Auteuil, he also made it clear that his priority was to step up in view of his favorite tournament, Wimbledon, where he "wants to be at 100%".

That being said, the Swiss will enjoy a peaceful first round against a qualifier and avoid the ultimate humiliation of a first round elimination in Paris.

Honor is safe.

Is anyone going to subscribe to Amazon to see tennis behind closed doors?

A priori, no more than French people who had the courage to embark on the Telefoot adventure to watch Ligue 1 behind closed doors.

But you never know.

As a reminder, Amazon will broadcast the ten games in the night session scheduled from 9 p.m., until the last one, on June 9 (the only one with the public).

Said like that, it doesn't make anyone dream.

EXCEPT THAT.

Who says night sessions, says best posters of the day and therefore big names.

Fans of jousting on court 14 and Simonne-Mathieu will probably not mind not seeing Nadal and Djokovic before the second week, but fans of the GOAT race will not see it that way and should give in to the temptation. of the new broadcaster.

Which Russian will go the furthest?

Like every year, not Daniil Medvedev, whose recent achievement we will still salute: little friend with clay, too messy for his majesty, the Russian won a match on ocher before Roland Garros.

Ok, it was in Madrid so that counts halfway, but small event all the same.

No, the Russian that we will be waiting for at home is Andrey Rublev, Nadal's killer in Monte-Carlo.

Admittedly, he has struggled to confirm his final on the rock in recent weeks, but beating Rafa on clay = + 100% street credibility is the rule.

We will still keep a close eye on the Karatsev hype, finalist in Serbia after having hit Djokovic in the semi-finals and Karen Khachanov who, if he does not pierce as much as expected, is still strong enough to eliminate two or three French people.

Who is Benoît Paire going to blame?

Despite the public's return, Benoît Paire is still struggling to win matches.

A victory in Madrid against Basilashvili will not be enough to make us believe that the sinking of the Avignon is only due to a lack of atmosphere.

We will therefore have to find a new excuse after being spread in three rounds by Casper Ruud in the first round at Roland.

Wind ?

The referee who misinterpreted a 1-1 15-A mark in the first set that would have taken him out of a game he had no intention of entering anyway?

Surprise us, Benoît.

Will we see a musketeer in the second round?

Cruel observation for the aging quartet: the strongest of the four is also the one whose physique is the least reliable.

Richard Gasquet has regained some of his tennis and is the only one capable of passing rounds on best of five sets tournaments.

But does he have the cash to survive the physical challenge of Hugo Gaston at Roland's entry?

For the others, we are even less optimistic.

Tsonga does not know if he will ever regain his level, Gaël Monfils is in deep depression and Gilles Simon has rediscovered the pleasure of playing without winning.

In short, we risk losing all our Musketeers after three days.

Will there be an atmosphere?

It won't be the usual madness, of course, but it will already be something other than the gloomy gray days of last October, when the sight of the empty alleys swept by the wind and the rain made you want to take refuge under the duvet more than to go see tennis. Already, the weather will be much better, at least for the first few days, which always helps to raise the sauce in the stands.

For the question of the number of spectators, there will be almost two tournaments.

The first week, barely more than 5,000 people will be authorized on the site, with a maximum capacity of 1,000 lucky ones on the Chatrier, the Lenglen and the Simonne-Matthieu.

Better than nothing, but not enough to push a Gasquet on the kneecaps after two hours of play in the fifth set.

It will be better in the second week, with 5,000 spectators for the Chatrier and the Lenglen, and 3,500 for the Simonne-Mathieu.

There it will start to look like something.

Too bad, there will be no more French people to see that.

Nadal will he win Roland Garros?

Yes (we said it above, it would be a question of following a little).

Who for "the beautiful story of this Roland"?

Ah, what would a Roland be without the youngster that we weren't expecting, with Nelson who is going to interview the mum or the dad in the stands?

After Hugo Gaston last year or Diane Parry the one before, we would put a small coin on Arthur Rinderknech.

Not so young (25 years old), but the Alsatian is experiencing a linear progression and arrives at Porte d'Auteuil on a good momentum.

Quarter-finalist in Marseille, he has just done it again in Lyon, taking out Jannik Sinner on the way, please.

And then his painting (Cilic then Federer) is an invitation to a crazy adventure.

Our Roland-Garros file

Will a woman finally win twice in a row?

While Rafa Nadal alone has 40% of the world's silver reserves thanks to his 83 Musketeers Cups, not a player has managed to keep her title at Roland since Justine Hénin, who had made the treble 2005- 2006-2007.

Can Iga Swiatek do it?

We would tend to say yes, and even rather to wonder if this time, it will lose a set, especially after its demonstration in Rome.

But we must not forget that there were many absent during the last edition (Barty, Osaka, Andreescu, Williams, Bencic).

We can't wait to see the Polonaise again, anyway, after her unexpected and impressive October recital.

What will Japanese journalists be able to do for 15 days?

The hard blow.

We put ourselves in the place of our Japanese colleagues, who had to deal with 9,700 km by plane and all the tests that we imagine in this period, to learn on their arrival in Paris that their biggest star would not give them a word of the fortnight.

World No.2 Naomi Osaka has announced a general media boycott because they are mean, always ask the same questions, and like to make players cry (in short).

Small consolation, the draw awarded papy Jo Tsonga to Yoshihito Nishioka.

It will be at least a second round to get our teeth into.

Sport

Roland-Garros: Nadal, Djokovic and Federer in the same half of the table, there will be breakage