Simonne Mathieu, a 5000-seat court adjoined to a botanical garden, is new at Roland Garros this year. What likely won’t be new is an expected Nadal/Djokovic final—this could be the 55th time the two legends face off in total, the most recent of which came last week in Rome, where Nadal beat Djokovic for the title. The King of Clay will begin his quest for a record-extending 12th French Open final on Sunday. On the women’s side, things are far less predictable with the likes of Naomi Osaka, Karolina Pliskova, Simona Halep, Serena Williams and Sloane Stephens coming in as favorites, but their mediocre clay court records so far this year could open the door for the underdogs.
Up-and-Comers, Sleepers to Watch at the French Open
