Tennis player as campaigner? Discuss. It's exam time at the French Open. The top seed and defending champion Iga Swiatek is posing the questions ... and also coming up with the answers on her 23rd birthday.
Battle
Who'd have thought that the winning machine that is Iga Swiatek would suddenly be at the epicentre of an existential debate at a tournament that she is trying to claim for the fourth time in five years. But voilà, the young Pole has uttered what should have been stated and dealt with a while ago: poor behaviour in the stands. She mentioned it just after her three-set slugfest on Day 4 against the former world number one Naomi Osaka. Swiatek said immediately afterwards that she feared she might have done the wrong thing by speaking out and might incur the wrath of fans. Well, on Day 6 supporters cheered her onto Court Philippe Chatrier for her match against Marie Bouzkova. After her 6-4, 6-2 romp into the fourth round, they even belted out Happy Birthday for the 23-year-old before she left. You done right Iga.
Equality control?
Once Iga Swiatek had voiced her concerns about the rowdiness in the stands, it was instructive to see French Open tournament director Amélie Mauresmo react swiftly by banning alcohol in the stands and telling umpires to be more strict with the spectators. She's been curiously obdurate about the evening ties on Court Philippe Chatrier featuring mainly men since the inception of the night game a few years back. Hey Amélie, the imbalance is as loud as the louts in the stands. Change the stance before you look lumpen. "It is sad, of course," said eighth seed Ons Jabeur when asked about the paucity of women in the night games. "I would like us to show more women's matches, of course. Usually I go back to my hotel, I switch on the TV, and there are always more men's matches than women's matches. We try to speak up about it," Jabeur added. "I keep on speaking up and I really hope things will change. I can feel that women's tennis at the moment is in a really good position."
Big brother is watching you
After regaling us with the joys of stepping out with Paula Badosa, Stefanos Tsitsipas was back talking domestics following his straight sets sweep past Zhizhen Zhang and into the last-16. Stef's siblings, Petros and Pavlos, are trying to make their way in the game. Petros, 23, is pursuing a career in doubles and Pavlos, 18, is hoping to follow big brother into the singles. "I have been supporting obviously because they want to play professional tennis and this is something that comes completely naturally from my side," said the 25-year-old alpha prong of the Tsitsipas trident. "Because I completely understand what it takes to make it into professional tennis." He'll doubtless be a first port of call should the younger brothers find gushing partners who are players as well.
Last man
So well done Corentin Moutet. The last local hero in the tournament. The 25-year-old Frenchman reached the last-16 at his home tournament for the first time following a four-set victory over Sebastien Ofner from Austria. It was supposed to be the last match on Court Simonne Mathieu on Day 4 but with rain messing up the schedule, it was moved to Court Suzanne Lenglen where there is a roof. Logical really as Moutet will next face second seed Jannik Sinner who played his match during the afternoon on Court Philippe Chatrier which also has a snazzy cover. You want to be as fresh as possible to face the Italian. "I'm going to play my game," said Moutet. "I've never played him. We've never practiced together but I've watched him a lot. He's very aggressive and one of the best players in the world, So let's see how it goes." We sense a night match a-coming.
First time
Clara Tauson was among a cluster of players on Day 6 who reached the last-16 at one of the four Grand Slam tournament venues for the first time. The 21-year-old from Denmark removed the 2020 runner-up Sofia Kenin 6-2, 7-5. On Day 4, Tauson, who is ranked number 72 in the world, saw off the ninth seed Jelena Ostapenko who bludgeoned her way to the French Open title in 2017. "I definitely feel like I have always had a lot of easy power in my game: my serve, my forehand, my backhand. It comes very easy to me," said Tauson after her win over Kenin. "I don't have to use that much of my strength but that's also the way I like to play and the way I love to watch people play." Next up comes eighth seed Ons Jabeur, who adores angles and savours slices. It will be a fascinating clash of cultures. The review has an idea: Night match.
