Unforgiving European sand and French Open
View(s):An astute observer would have notice the European clay season did not produce the tennis expected in appeal. Lack of established players is certainly one reason for it. In men’s, the comfort zone of Jannick Sinner is noticeable. He has time to spare even against very good players. He does exhibit lethal shot selection while being in his comfort zone. His last victim was Alex Bublik of Kazakhstan, who disposed British hope Jack Draper. The sand court is certainly not Brits realm.
Novak Djokovic is the last to appealing veteran. On sand, he is a force at 37 years of age. As I write this, he beat Alex Zevrev in the quarter-finals, convincingly. I can almost say Zevrev did not place a challenge on Djokovic. Being a veteran, having faced Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, Djokovic’s ability to read the opponent really surpasses many of his current contemporaries.
Sand and its variant
What more the clay granules varied Italy, Barcelona and Paris, even the tennis balls in French Open is heavier. Europe is the key for global tennis popularity. Even 40 years ago, tennis turned out to be expensive to Europeans as recreational sport. Court time, rackets, shoes shot up. Participatory tennis popularity plummeted and scores of facilities were shutdown. French Open had too many vacant seats from third round. One study has shown tennis is losing ground to para tennis versions at participatory level. This has happened before, tennis survived with its history of 175 years.
Big names and surprises
Young Russian Mirra Andreeva coached by Conchita Martinez of Spain already is in the Top 10 in WTA. Talking of new faces, a French girl Lois Boisson ranked 370 beat US veteran Jessica Pegula WTA 3. Very convincingly, Boisson also went past Andreeva. Very few players developed on sand. Boisson is in the semi-finals, surprise of surprises. At 23, her development will come under study for future models. Other women players Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff are bound to be in final rounds.
Career in tennis
Entering the arena, rising to stardom, surviving to make a living is difficult. In the fading days of a tennis player, they become simple and have to resort to positions not very attractive. This is not only for tennis. Comfort, discomforts, challenges, sacrifices to be developed and to be ever evolving is the unseen toil of a player even after the career in related fields. Teenage and youth made to be in a toiling road living under the threat of defeat, making subsequent events to be living a life of a cat on a hot tin roof.
By the end of the sand court season, officially the end of French Open, voice of discomfort has reached the world press. Normally not loud enough for press
interest. Casper Ruud is the man who is leading voice of the discontent of professional tennis stress in 2025. A quarter century into the new millennium, professional tennis is demanding humane conditions to remain in sports carrier.
Often reminded by many past sportsman, biggest challenge to a sportsperson is within, and not on the other side of the net in tennis, when trying to making a career.
Finest sport spectacle
Clubs, cities and township are competing with branded product promoters to be in the prominence using tennis. In Europe it is all about brand, city name and prize money. [Sinatra singing New York, New York]. Glamour is increasing and so is the stress level to players and those in promoting the sport.
WTA and ATP
The current line of events belongs to WTA and ATP. Events have to get their sanctions, if not best of names in the game will not come. In return, events will have to make a venue, which some have taken a hundred years and latest keep up could cost a billion dollars. Ever increasing prize money over the table and may be to some under the table. A circus? A mega circus indeed! Strong and is ever so popular.
After the Australian hard court season, there were some plucky venues from in far and West Asia and Southern arenas globally. Sun never sets on tennis showing its growth globally. For players, stress levels are so high resulting in emotional breakdown occurrences are noticeable.
Bigger issue
It is even a bigger issue for WTA and ATP when coming to deliver fresh appealing players to events round the year. Their management comprises of nothing but past players. A compromise is what we see. [Splinters fly and even now, I can name 10 players who will need care taking; the show must go on, is the rule].
Development in tennis affects every nation within their boundary. We have our own being contained to local challenge and standard. We do not get the spectatorship to be attractive and appealing. One observer correctly told me it is academic scholarship that keeps tennis attractive locally. It takes over a decade to mature in any sport. In individual sport, risk is even higher.
–George Paldano, European and Asian competition player; Coach German Tennis Federation; National coach Brunei and Sri Lanka; Davis Cup, Federation Cup coach, coached ATP, WTA and ITF ranked players in Europe and Asia; WhatsApp +94775448880–