French Open 2022

There are numbers, then there are numbers. As Rafael Nadal takes to the court at the 2022 French Open, we take a look at 21 legendary numbers from the King ...

1,051 -- Nadal has 1,051 wins in his career as of May 22. 13 -- Nadal has won a staggering 13 French Open titles, a record at any single tournament in the Open era. 24 -- At the age of 24, Nadal became the youngest player ever to complete a career Grand Slam. He defeated Djokovic in four sets at the 2010 US Open to capture the achievement. The two could meet next in the French Open quarterfinals. In the 2022 French Open, he will look to move closer to the record of 31 held by both Federer and Djokovic. 15 -- Nadal turned pro at age 15 in 2001. 2 -- Nadal has also won two Olympic gold medals: in singles in 2008 and in doubles in 2016. They have met in nine Grand Slam finals, with Nadal winning on six occasions. Oddly enough, they have never played against one another at the US Open, in any round. The event, which takes place in November, features the world's best eight qualified singles players and doubles teams and is set up in a round-robin format. 11 -- Being partners on the court with Nadal pays off. 3 -- Well, the Big Three. More specifically: Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have dominated men's tennis for a generation.

Sixth seed Jabeur lost 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 7-5 to Poland's 56th-ranked Magda Linette. Two-time runner-up Thiem was another early casualty, losing 6-3, 6-2, ...

"It's not the greatest feeling to go in a Grand Slam knowing that all is not perfect in practice. I was happy to fight for every single point," said Linette who needed treatment on a leg injury after dropping the first set. His last victory came in Rome just over a year ago. Alcaraz was ranked 97 this time last year. He was only two when Nadal won the first of his 13 French Opens in 2005 but he made his mark at the 2021 tournament where he came through qualifying to reach the third round. Three of his titles have come on clay in Rio, Barcelona and Madrid where he defeated Nadal, Djokovic and world number three Alexander Zverev to take the title.

He was unbeatable at the start of the year, then could hardly finish a match in the run-up to the French Open because of an injury. Which version of the ...

And after just a few weeks of preparation and a single tournament, Nadal won the Australian Open in January, showing the world once more that counting him out is a terrible idea. Also, he said that the results from the last two months mattered more than titles won a long time ago. “Things can change quick,” Nadal said, though neither he nor anyone else can say with any certainty that they will. “It’s something that we haven’t seen for sure in a long time.” Mueller-Weiss Syndrome, the degenerative foot condition that Nadal has had since childhood, prevented him from playing for most of the rest of the year. It has been a long time since Nadal showed up in Paris and this tournament was not his to lose. Nadal is 105-3 at Roland Garros. He has won 13 singles titles, the first coming half a lifetime ago, in 2005. He embarrassed Djokovic, 6-0, 6-2, 7-5, in the final. Nine months later, though, Djokovic got revenge, breaking Nadal’s spirit and his body during an epic four-set semifinal on his way to the championship. He is the only player in the field with a 9-foot silver statue on these grounds. His knees are often on the edge of balky. Which version of the 13-time champion of this tournament will show up?

Dominic Thiem was easily beaten by Bolivia's Hugo Dellien in the French Open first round, while in the women's event Ons Jabeur became the first major ...

“The key is just to continue being patient, work on the stuff which is not working and then it will come back, but it will take time,” he said. At times he snapped forehands well long early in the point and other times he set up short balls only to miss the easiest shot of the rally. As he fell meekly to Dellien, the 87th-ranked Bolivian clay courter put an arm around Thiem and gave him some supportive words at the net. Since returning from a nine-month injury layoff due to a right wrist injury and various complications, Thiem has now lost all of his seven matches back, winning just two sets between them. Just two hours into the tournament on Sunday afternoon, Thiem suffered a disappointing and at times hard to watch first-round defeat to Hugo Dellien of Bolivia, who easily beat him 6-3, 6-2, 6-4. There was once a time, not very long ago at all, when Dominic Thiem was better placed than anyone else to emerge as the next new champion on these grounds.

The 2022 French Open men's singles draw and results. Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz are the Roland Garros favorites.

He would be the first teenage man to win a major since Nadal’s first conquest in Paris in 2005. Then there’s Alcaraz, who is the same age as Nadal was when Nadal won his first French Open. Alcaraz won his last two tournaments, including beating Nadal and Djokovic on back-to-back days on May 6-7. The 35-year-old Spaniard is bidding to break 1972 French Open champion Andres Gimeno‘s record as the oldest singles champion in Paris. But he most overcome persistent foot pain that impacted his lead-up, which for the first time since 2015 included no titles in the early spring clay-court season.

The sliding and gliding on the French Open's premier red clay courts always lead to impressive tennis. Intentional or not, each year there are numerous jaw- ...

While Jabeur was in charge of points most of the time with precise placement, Linette used her speed to run everything down. Day one of 2022 French Open action had a shocking twist as Poland’s Linette dispatched No. 6 seed Jabeur from the draw 3-6, 7-6, 7-5. Whether it’s a shot between the legs or a massive upset, these iconic moments will have you rushing to your local tennis courts.