Game, set and subplots! Roland Garros begins

There were nearly as many subplots before the event as there are matches in the main event, which starts on 28 May, at the Roland Garros stadium in the leafy district of Auteuil.

Maria Sharapova of Russia serves during her match against Serena Williams of the U.S.A. at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, July 9, 2015 REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo

Tennis fans will head out to the verdant western fringes of Paris knowing that there is no chance of Roger Federer adding to his 2009 triumph.

Serena Williams won’t be in town either. She’s skipping the show to prepare for the birth of her first child in September.

And there’ll be none of Maria Sharapova’s high decibel pyrotechnics. The two time champion has been ostracised by the moralizing majority at the French tennis federation (FFT).

The bigwigs refused to dish out a wildcard (invitation into the main draw) because the 30-year-old Russian is returning from a drugs ban.

The circus over whether the FFT should or shouldn’t extend the love to Sharapova like tournament organisers did in Stuttgart, Madrid and Rome, somewhat overshadowed Federer’s snub.

Federer’s snub

The 35-year-old Swiss said he had to miss the French Open because he needed to preserve his body for an assault on Wimbledon and the US Open – the venues for 12 of his 18 Grand Slam crowns.

There was sense to his decision. Paris hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for Federer. He has lost in four finals to Rafael Nadal and targeting further success in London and New York appears logical after harvesting three crowns on hard courts in the first few months of 2017.

Federer beat Nadal in the final to win the Australian Open in January. In March and April, he then claimed the “sunshine double” of the Indian Wells Masters and the Miami Masters – getting past Nadal on both occasions on his way to the titles.

“The start to the year has been magical for me,” said Federer. “But I need to recognise that scheduling will be the key to my longevity.

Thus, my team and I concluded today that playing just one event on clay was not in the best interest of my tennis and physical preparation for the remainder of the season.

“I will miss the French fans, who have always been so supportive and I look forward to seeing them at Roland Garros next year.”

… then there’s Serena

It’s hard to believe that he will ever be back. If he fears creakiness in 2017, then he is likely to be even less well oiled in 2018. But the former world number one is at the point in his career where he intertwines the hemispheres as St Roger of Federer.

Serena’s just a month younger than Federer. And she’ll give birth to her first child as she hits 36. Will she back in Paris as a player?

And if so why? What more does she need to prove on the circuit? She won her 23rd Grand Slam singles title when she beat big sis Venus in Melbourne in January.

And since Serena stepped away from the tour, no one really seems to want to become head girl. Angelique Kerber is the world number one.

But it appears decorative. What’s she actually won so far this season? Nothing. And she didn’t cover herself in glory in the clay court events in Madrid and Rome.

The women’s French Open crown is there for the taking especially with defending champion Garbine Muguruza also showing indifferent form on clay.

The same cannot be said for a certain Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard comes to Paris looking for a 10th Roland Garros crown. And he’s a good bet to pull it off.

So far this season, he has won Monte Carlo for the 10th time and notched up the same record at the Barcelona Open on the centre court named after him – nice that. And he won the Madrid Open for a fifth time.

The men’s defending champion Novak Djokovic anointed Nadal as number one favourite. Nadal dismissed the suggestion with the same curled lip disdain he affords a ball that lands short.

“It doesn’t matter if you believe or don’t believe that I am one of the candidates for the title. The only way to have chances – real chances - to win the title is by playing well, being healthy and having the right attitude in every practice and in every match.
That’s the only way to have success here.”

And Nadal should