May Madness: The connections between tennis, hockey and basketball

As the culmination of the clay-court season begins in Paris, the NBA and NHL seasons are approaching their conclusions in the United States. Between both leagues, just eight teams remain, each with various strengths and weaknesses, along with an intrinsic quality that their loyal fans know all too well. At the risk of sounding cliché, it’s their narrative.

We could pinpoint the strengths, weaknesses and characteristics of all 256 main-draw singles players at Roland Garros, too. But for each our sanities, let’s consider the eight French Open participants whose stories most closely resemble the eight remaining basketball and hockey teams:

The team: Cleveland Cavaliers (NBA)
The player: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
The connection: The Cavaliers are led by LeBron James, perhaps the world’s most recognizable athlete—but, more to the point, an Ohio native. He was drafted by his hometown team in 2003, but in the prime of his career bolted for Miami, where he won two NBA titles. Now back in Cleveland, James is trying to bring his tortured city a long-awaited title. It’s comparable to the task Tsonga, arguably France’s best hope for a champion, is faced with at Roland Garros. No Frenchman has won a singles title on the terre battue since Yannick Noah in 1983. Tsonga might not advance as far as James’ Cavs, but it’s not hard to envision both men coming up painfully short once again. Paris and Cleveland can commiserate over red wine and Polish Boys.

The team: Golden State Warriors (NBA)
The player: Novak Djokovic
The connection: The Bay Area franchise set an NBA record with a 73-9 regular season, thanks in large part to Stephen Curry, the game’s most exciting player and unanimous MVP. (Seriously, he received every vote.) But unless the Warriors cap their season off with a title, it will be hard to look back and enjoy all of that early success. Djokovic, along the same lines, has done everything he can on clay—win Masters tournaments, beat Rafael Nadal—and has won every other Grand Slam tournament. But the Serb needs to come through when it matters most on the dirt. No excuse will suffice, no matter how hot or inspired his opponents get. One possible good omen: One of Golden State’s best players is named Klay Thompson.

The team: Oklahoma City Thunder (NBA)
The player: Garbine Muguruza
The connection: The talent is unquestioned. The question is, is it finally the time for either the Thunder or Muguruza to win it all? At this point, you’d have to give Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Co. a better chance, given their impressive showings against Golden State. But Muguruza, a former Wimbledon finalist and very capable clay-courter, can take complete control of a match when she’s on target. The Spaniard might need some things to go her way to go far in the draw, not unlike the Thunder in the loaded Western Conference, but eventually, it seems like both should break through.

The team: Toronto Raptors (NBA)
The player: Milos Raonic
The connection: Oh, I don’t know…Canada? A penchant for wearing sleeves? Both Raonic and the Raptors are also a bit overlooked in their respective tournaments. Lacking a marquee name, the Raptors seem like the odd team out when compared to the Thunder, Warriors and Cavaliers. And for all he’s accomplished, Raonic still has difficulty shedding the label of being “just” a serve (even if it’s one of the game’s best). While it’s unlikely that either ends up on top, ignore each at your own peril.

The team: Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL)
The player: Simona Halep
The connection: Trying to win after coming so close. The Lightning have won a Stanley Cup before, but 2004 is an eternity ago in sports. Last year, the Lightning fell two wins shy of the title. Halep, meanwhile, has reached at least the quarterfinal round at every major, and finished runner-up in Paris two years ago. The 24-year-old will have plenty more chances, as will the relatively young Lightning, but the longer each goes without a championship, the harder it will be to win one.

The team: Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL)
The player: Rafael Nadal
The connection: The Penguins are more than just Sidney Crosby—they’ve certainly showed that this playoffs—but he remains the face of the franchise. And in his 11th season, he remains with just one Stanley Cup ring. It feels long overdue that Crosby’s consistent excellence translates into another championship. While Nadal was French Open champion as recently as two years ago, it feels much longer than that, particularly given his unprecedented troubles on his preferred playing surface in recent years. At their best, Nadal and Crosby may be unstoppable, and they will likely have to be at that level to stop their ever-improving competition.

The teams: St. Louis Blues, San Jose Sharks (NHL)
The players: David Ferrer, Agnieszka Radwanska
The connections: These teams and players have paid their dues over and over again. The Blues have been one the NHL’s best regular-season franchises for the past four years, but lost in the first round each of the last three. They finally got over the hump this year, but this championship-caliber squad has loftier goals. The Sharks have had a history of reaching this point of te playoffs, but have been unable to go any further. On the tennis court, Ferrer and Radwanska are consummate professionals and have won nearly everything there is to win—except for a major. The scar tissue is plentiful; the list of shortcomings long. One of the hockey teams will actually play for the Cup, as the Blues and Sharks are facing off in the final four. Will Ferrer or Radwanska? If not, they certainly know how to handle the pain.

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