French Open 2024

Thia is the old, pissy Djokovic that makes him utterly unlikable.

Other guy isn't slipping. Seems to be him

This 5th set in the Djokovic/Cerundolo is very tight, Cerundolo showing real guts to break back.

Djokovic feigning injury and coming back from the dead? Well I never.

And poor old Navarro taking an absolute beating by Sabalenka.....

Oh well, Paolini did the business, fair dues to her - I suppose one outta three ain't bad!

Tempting as it would be to assume Djokovic was feigning the injury, I can't imagine that he would throw 2 sets in the middle of the match just to be convincing. That would be the last thing he would want after a 5 setter finishing at 3am.

I can't see him getting past Ruud. He's gone as far as his fitness can take him.

Zverev and Medvedev both brutal, and telling of the state of the game that Medvedev is a grand slam winner. Djokovic is past it.

Alcaraz and Sinner the only two decent players in it, the rest of the field absolutely brutal. And Alcaraz and Sinner are no world beaters themselves. A young Lleyton Hewitt would of destroyed them at their age for example. Tennis in a very bad state

Doubt he was feigning it, he has had to pull out....not sure what that means for Wimbledon...

Can't see him playing Wimbledon. If it is a torn miniscus then he will need keyhole to fix it and then you are loking at 6 to 8 weeks recovery.

Meniscus tear surely means he's out for the rest of the grand slam season and Olympics.

Lleyton Hewitt. A man who never made it past qf at France and made 3 other grand slam finals (winning 2 in fairness) .

You could say the same about his titles. State of the game when he won them. In between the Sampras dominance and fed era. He beat an aging Sampras and a nalbandian and lost to safin.

He had a stellar 2 year run but that's really it and was never threatening to win much after 2002

Christ. Is there any sport you don't have some barmy take on?

Once you get mid 30s and pick up injuries it's very difficult to stay health consistently.

Given he could play on it woukd suggest a fairly minor tear.

Aa above, if its a minor tear he should be back in time for the US Open. Potentially the Oylmpics but even if he was fit for that he'd be better off skipping it given it will be clay again.

The point was more, how at a young age, he came in and stood up to the established players, and basically cleared them out. This new generation, has continually collapsed under pressure, when they had the big 3 on the ropes. They've basically had to wait for them to retire. So there is a huge contrast to the way Hewitt broke through and took the game to the top players, in the way this useless lot haven't.

What happened in the rest of Hewitt's career is moot really, in terms of the context of my point. But when he started getting niggling injuries at the end of 2003 and started to lose his pace, you could see a drop off in his standard. By 05/06 and the injuries got more serious, he simply wasn't the player he once was. Still stayed ranked in the top 3 for a long time, which shows his talent. His technical game and shot placement is arguably the best I've ever seen. To lose his pace, and have no weapons and power, just shows how incredible his shot placement was to stay at the top so long.

The big 3 have their fanboys and will hear no wrong. But it's a myth Hewitt dominated a transitional era. He cleared the previous generation out. After Federer won his first Wimbledon, Hewitt beat him in the Davis cup. Then the niggling injuries started. People forget just how incredibly good a fully fit Hewitt was. He'd put it right up to any of the big 3, gave Nadal his hardest game in France in 09 I think, crippled with injuries. He was right up there with Federer until his pace slowly deteriorated, that's how good he was. But the fanboys will try and explain away the routine beatings he used to give Federer.

Only for injuries, a prime Hewitt is as good a player you'll ever see. Infact he never even got to his prime tbh

In finals? He beat Sampras 4 games on the trot, and demolished him in the US Open one year. Sampras feared him, and retired to save his legacy, as he knew what was coming.

I never said Hewitt was as good as Federer. His career was far too short, and mostly hampered by injuries. But for the period he was fully fit, was every bit as good. His last great performance was at the end of 2003 against Federer, that was the last time we saw a fully fit Hewitt at the top of his game. Thereafter, with the injuries starting, a noticable drop in his pace and ability to get to certain shots.

Sampras was still a top player, how does him still winning a major disprove my point? But his majors were drying up, and he wanted to get out on top. Hewitt was routinely beating him by that stage, that's just a fact many people don't want to accept. He was routinely beating Federer too. He broke through as one of the youngest world numbers 1's and grand slam winners. You can't do that without being phenomenally talented. It's unheard off. It's freakish talent

Ye his career was still 20 years, showing just what an amazing talent he was. He had no weapons, and when his pace left him, his technical game and shot placement was so brilliant, he could still be competitive. But he simply wasn't the player he could of been after getting his first injuries at the end of 03.

Are you tring to suggest Hewitt was in his prime after this or was the same player? Because we all know injuries hampered his game, when would you suggest they started to effect his game?

Do you reckon when Federer was regularly bageling him, he was at his peak? Or Federer all of a sudden became so much better? Like not just a little better, but way way way better? Overnight?

Surprised to see Rybakina beaten by Paolini. I hope Andreeva beats Sabalenka, I just can't warm to Sabalenka and the screaming.

Did Andreeva win?? I'm just watching the first set now, was assuming that Sabalenka would get her act together eventually and wipe the court with her!

Delighted to see Paolini get through, she'd light up the room, I love watching her play. The contrast in players and styles between her and Rybakina could not have been bigger, it was funny watching them on the same court!

Coco's forehand was horrifically bad today, all Iga had to do was play the ball to that Coco's forehand and Coco's would just beat herself.

You'd have to think Swiatek will at least get into double digit major wins and probably beat Chris Everts Roland Garros record.

I think the thing with Iga that'll keep her at the top is she doesn't beat herself ever and is so mentally strong that she'll win bucket loads of matches other even other top class players would have found a way to lose.If she improves her serve she's going to be even harder to beat going forward.Also she appears very level headed and there is no bullshit or drama with her and you feel like she's really 100% focussed on tennis whereas the likes of Osaka, Barty and Muguruza seemed to not really be pushed about tennis whereas she seems to love it and want to be the very best.

Dear god no, Zverev to actually win a slam here 😞

I thought it was just me who missed the end of the match, despite thinking I'd set everything to record practically until the 9 o'clock news! Eurosport's broadcast set-up is a complete pain for matches that drag on - I seem to remember the BBC just extending Wimbledon programmes way beyond the listed time if the matches were long ones, so the recording was just one that continued.

Delighted to see Alcaraz win, I just love watching him play, although he didn't seem to enjoy this match as much as others (probably not surprisingly!)

I thought the contrast between his support box and Zverev's was marked - there was constant interaction and what looked like reassurance from Ferrero, all very positive looking - but when Zverev looked to his team, yer man just sat there looking grumpy!

I don't particularly like the way that players look to their box after every single point these days - I much preferred when they just went out and played their game and had to do it by themselves - but given that that's the way it's gone, I think Alcaraz's set-up is the best I've seen .

The absolute worst for that kind of carry on was Kyrgios, absolutely screaming at his box for not showing him enough fist pumps or some nonsense. He seems so normal as a commentator too.