Upsets blew open the women’s field in Paris, Serena endured physical issues, Rafa fell off his perch, and Silent Stan awoke. All the happenings made it an even more noteworthy French Open than usual—and the results at Roland Garros heavily influenced our latest Top 25.
1. Serena Williams (Previous: 3)
The flu. Opponents playing great. Tricky, varying conditions. Nothing stopped Williams at the French Open. When Serena finally calls it quits, she’ll look back on the two weeks and wonder: ‘How did I do that?’ More than a decade after the “Serena Slam,” her air of invincibility remains as high as ever.
2. Novak Djokovic (Previous: 1)
Oh, Nole. Djokovic did the hard part, or so many thought, by taking out Rafael Nadal in Paris. But the “Stanimal” resurfaced to deny the Serb a career Grand Slam. As well as Wawrinka played, Djokovic not having a day off between the conclusion of his semifinal and final, in my opinion, was a huge factor. Just check out players in that situation in the last 10 years at Slams and see how they fared.
3. Stan Wawrinka (Previous: 12)
Did Wawrinka get a slice of luck at the French? Of course. He landed in the easier half of the draw and went through the whole tournament virtually under the radar. He played freely. And when that happens, anything is possible. Somewhat incredibly, he now has the same number of Slams as Andy Murray.
4. Andy Murray (Previous: 2)
Murray didn’t do much wrong in the first two sets against Djokovic in the semis in Paris: When Djokovic plays that well, Murray is up against it. The Scot, though, is never one to throw in the towel. Not breaking in the first game of the fifth when Djokovic was on the ropes cost him.
5. Maria Sharapova (Previous: 4)
It was always going to be difficult for Sharapova to reach a fourth straight final in Paris—the last woman to accomplish the feat was Steffi Graf, from 1987-1990. A combination of factors, primarily Lucie Safarova and illness, led to her demise in the fourth round.
6. Lucie Safarova (Previous: Unranked)
Safarova is on to something. Her semifinal showing at Wimbledon last year, combined with reaching a first Grand Slam final in Paris, tells us how much she has progressed in the last 12 months. Hmm…could Safarova overtake fellow Czech Petra Kvitova in the rankings this year?
7. Roger Federer (Previous: 6)
Speaking of not having a day off between matches—that obstacle hampered 33-year-old Federer more than Djokovic. He simply wasn’t sharp in his quarterfinal against Wawrinka, while his compatriot most certainly was. Reaching the final, however, would have been a bonus for Federer. He knows if he’ll get one more major, it’ll probably come at Wimbledon.
8. Timea Bacsinszky (Previous: 11)
So Bacsinszky blew a set-and-break lead to Serena in Paris. She wasn’t the only one. Bacsinszky is a delight for a few reasons: She’s open with the media, plays with a smile on her face, and has a nice all-around game that includes a lethal drop shot. The Swiss aren’t too bad in tennis, are they?
9. Kei Nishikori (Previous: 7)
I’m not sure what happened to Nishikori in the first two sets against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarterfinals. Did he freeze knowing he had a fine chance to make his first semifinal at Roland Garros? The potentially dangerous interruption at the end of the second set got him back in the match, but the damage had already been done.
10. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (Previous: Unranked)
Tsonga has been criticized in the past for his shot selection and inconsistency, and rightfully so. But this is no time for that. What he did in Paris was remarkable. Even without playing much this year, Tsonga had pressure because he’s still the leader of the French pack. Then he went out and upset Tomas Berdych and Nishikori to reach the semis. Bravo, Jo.
11. Ana Ivanovic (Previous: Unranked)
Ivanovic experienced some good fortune at the French. Caroline Garcia, her potential third-round opponent, lost early. Then Simona Halep, in her quarter of the draw, made an early exit. Sensing her opportunity at a major, Ivanovic’s nerves nearly got the better of her, and she almost lost to Misaki Doi. But the Serb overcame that to end a seven-year semifinal drought at majors.
12. Carla Suarez Navarro (Previous: 5)
In one corner you had Flavia Pennetta, who has shown she can rise to the occasion at majors. In the other was Suarez Navarro, who entered her favorite Grand Slam fourth in the calendar-year standings. Pennetta prevailed at the French—and Suarez Navarro’s words afterward suggested she wasn’t all that surprised to lose given their past meetings. Disappointing.