The French Open, commonly known as 'Roland Garros' is the premier clay court tournament which is one of those competitions where players want to make a mark and create history. It is undoubtedly the most physically demanding of all the Grand Slam competitions. French Open 2021 after being postponed by one week takes place from May 24 onwards and will end on June 13.
Last year was the first time when this competition wasn't held in the May-June window as it was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic and took place in October-November. Rafael Nadal had won the men's title by defeating Novak Djokovic 6–0, 6–2, 7–5 while Iga Swiatek got the better of Sofia Kenin 6–4, 6–1 in the women's final and became the first Polish player ever to win a Grand Slam. Meanwhile, here are few things about this year's tournament: Roger Federer Confirms Participation in Geneva Open and French Open 2021.
French Open Date and Live Broadcast: The competition is set to begin on May 24 and would be telecast live on Star Sports and streamed live on Disney+ Hotstar.
Most French Open Titles: Rafael Nadal, who is also famously known as the 'King of Clay' has the most number of French Open titles with 13. With a total of 20 Grand Slams to his name, Nadal stands a great chance of winning his 21st Grand Slam title. Given his dominance in the competition, this might as well be his second successive title.
Official Promo: The official promo of the competition, aired by official broadcaster Star Sports is titled, '‘Where the greatest leave their mark" draws a parallel between Nadal and Neil Armstrong's historic feat of being the first person to step foot on the moon.
Champion Players: Serena Williams would seek a 24th Grand Slam to add to her illustrious trophy cabinet while Iga Swiatek, the defending champion would also look to become the first person since Justine Henin to defend her women's title.
Player to Watch Out for: Ever since she came into the scene, 17-year old Coco Gauff has been a force to reckon with. The youngster, who began the year a the 48th rank, now sits at 30th after reaching the semi-final of the Adelaide International and quarter-finals of the Dubai Championships. She would once again look forward to putting up a good performance and show the world why she is special.
Interestingly, Roger Federer, who recently lost to Pablo Andujar in the Geneva Open on Tuesday, feels that he is not in good enough form to win the French Open!
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 20, 2021 04:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).