After two years of Covid-19, Roland-Garros regains full capacity on this edition, and the public does not sulk its pleasure. Even if it means sometimes going a little too far.
We are not going to be choosy. It is above all a pleasure, for everyone, to find the world in advance. No more behind closed doors, gauges, curfews… Roland-Garros has regained its full capacity and the public, weaned from tennis and sport in general for two years, is right to take advantage of it.
It must be said that the start of the fortnight is exciting, with many suspenseful matches, and the French who set fire. Tuesday was the best example, with an unreal end to the match between Gilles Simon and Pablo Carreno-Busta, at the end of the night, in an atmosphere worthy of a hot football stadium. « It was amazing,” reacted the Frenchman, amazed by the energy of the supporters who gave everything they had. “There are only geniuses left in the end, laughed the hero of the evening. At half past one, only the real ones remain. » And that can make the difference. “That’s the advantage we have of playing here, says Simon. Here, the double that falls at the end, at 30A, it does not fall by chance. »
Yesterday while part of France slept, the other was 2 fingers away from cracking smoke bombs for Gilles Simon.
Thank you tennis. pic.twitter.com/xSefIZX7Cx– Fed ?? of the Lose (@FFLose) May 25, 2022
Earlier in the day, another member of the Top 20, Alex De Minaur, had experienced a similar ordeal. The Australian gave up after five sets against an unleashed Hugo Gaston, and carried by the public of the Suzanne-Lenglen court. And the least we can say is that he did not like the treatment he received. “There’s a difference between a great atmosphere and cheering on the player from your country. But there is a limit, he cursed. I heard some words from the public, I got some looks after a double fault. There is a limit that should not be crossed. »
Among the four Grand Slam tournaments, however, Roland-Garros comes behind the Australian Open in the list of the hottest tournaments. The US Open being a madness apart, it is in Melbourne that the atmosphere can be the most hostile for whoever has the misfortune to come across an “Aussie”. De Minaur should be used to it, but finding himself on the wrong side obviously bothered him. “I will not repeat what I have been told, he got annoyed. I wish I could sleep well tonight and forget everything, but I know I won’t. »
??Alex De Minaur expressed his opinion toward the French crowd who cheered their fellow countryman Hugo Gaston.
“I’m getting told things by people in the crowd, making eye contact with me after I hit a double fault, there is a certain line that needs to be kind of looked at”. pic.twitter.com/KXg5PJ7GzP
— the Net magazine (@thenet_m) May 25, 2022
Speaking of the electric atmosphere, it’s hard not to think back to the Masters 1000 at Bercy last year, and the memorable duel between Hugo Gaston and Carlos Alcaraz, where the Spanish prodigy, whom nothing seems to reach in normal times, ended up lose balance. ” This meeting stuck in my mind, but I hope this experience will help me stay focused during the game, said Alcaraz returning to Paris this year. If I face another Frenchman again at Roland-Garros, it will be the same thing or worse. »
Jelena Ostapenko had a glimpse of it Thursday evening against Alizé Cornet, the Latvian not hesitating to cover her ears so as not to hear the public. But for Gilles Simon, it’s only a fair return. “It’s something that I feel in general, explains the tricolor veteran. I hadn’t had the chance to take advantage of it. But
matches that I saw, at Bercy, on the last Roland-Garros of other players, the last Bercy, big, big atmospheres for French players, atmospheres that we are not used to have with us, who, by the way, sometimes even seem a little disturbing. People will say: ‘Ah no, but that was a bit too much.’ I want to tell them: ‘You don’t realize how much we’ve been yelled at for 15 years when we go to play in other countries.’ There, it’s just normal. Because when I played Kyrgios in Australia, guys yelled at you, and not cool stuff. You get insulted the whole game. There, we are not there at all. We always have an audience that is ultra respectful, but who is warmer. »
??? pic.twitter.com/HzvOCUWble
– René Denfeld (@Renestance) May 26, 2022
