By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday June 1, 2019

There’s a lot to unpack after a hectic week one of Roland Garros that has seen top contenders fall and illness and injury wreak havoc. We’ve seen unexpected names surge to the fore, while tried-and-true men’s legends have continued to hold serve and capture the imagination of the Roland Garros faithful.

Here’s some rapid fire takes on what the heck has happened over the last seven days in Paris.

1. Novak and Rafa remain on collision course

It’s was the biggest story heading into the tournament and it will only garner more attention as week two gets rolling. Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have the most to gain in terms of legacy here at Roland Garros and each has done nothing but give fans and pundits reasons to believe that he can win the title. Djokovic has dropped eight games per match and played with a metronomic purity.

Nadal has been his usual daunting dervish, and even an inspired run by David Goffin which resulted in a dropped set for the mighty Spaniard, could not dampen his enthusiasm. Asked about what expectations he is placing on himself here in Paris, Nadal didn’t give the question much thought. “Play well and win,” he said. “That’s all.”

2. Osaka Can’t Measure up to Pressure

Naomi Osaka’s third-round loss to Katerina Siniakova wasn’t really about tennis. It was about pressure and how difficult it can be for a player to maintain a superhuman run of Grand Slam triumphs that had reached 16 as of Saturday. The World No.1 spoke about what the weight of the tennis world was doing her after her first round victory over Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, saying that she had never been more nervous. She reiterated again after falling to Siniakova behind a bevy of unforced errors in a dismal performance on Saturday on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

“I think this tournament I have had a feeling that was different to the other Grand Slams, or, like, every other Grand Slam that I have played, because usually I find it very freeing and fun, and this time around I was kind of tense the entire time,” she said.

Osaka’s struggles in Paris weren’t about her tennis (she’s brilliant), or her ability to evolve on the clay (she’s massively improved). They were about the weight of expectations and how they can gnaw at a player and put them in a mental state where it is impossible to produce their best tennis.

3. WTA Kids are Forcing us to Notice

Three or more teenagers are into the round of 16 at a major for the first time since 2009 and perhaps Iga Swiatek’s comments after her second round victory over Wang Qiang sum this up best. Tennis Now asked her about what was allowing her to make the transition from junior to pro so easily. She said it was “normal” to her to get to the next level. “I've done that all my life, so why would that be different.”

17-year-old Amanda Anisimova and 19-year-old Marketa Vondrousova seem similarly confident. Watch out twenty somethings…

4. Sevastova’s Moment of Perfection

Anastasija Sevastova saved five match points against Elise Mertens on Court Suzanne Lenglen, and these were not basic match point saves. The forehand she hit on the first one was a leap of faith, cracked with full gusto as it flew into the open court, and the backhand she hit on the fifth was perhaps one of the greatest clutch shots in Roland Garros history. Sevastova hit the inside of the ball and sent it spinning down the line away from a chasing Mertens. It kissed the line—the Belgian had no chance.

5. Court Simonne-Mathieu—a Slice of Tennis Heaven

What would Proust think about sauntering east from the Bullring, through the serene promenade that cuts through the Orangerie, to get to Court Simonne-Mathieu? Surely, on a lovely summer day like we had on Day 7 at Roland Garros, he’d take his time and notice the sound of birds chirping as he basked in the redolent aroma of la nature. And the court, nestled into a greenhouse, and replete with artistic sightlines aplenty? Proust, if he was who we think he is, would be blown away. Simonne-Mathieu is to tennis fans what the madeleine was to Proust. A nuanced delicacy to be adored and consumed patiently, with full undivided attention—and reverance.

6. Serena Is Not Serena

Remember Serena Williams, the cape-wearing superwoman that could do anything she wanted to do on a tennis court once the adrenaline started flowing? No deficit was too big, no ailment to poignant, no fist-pumping opponent to much to handle—if she wanted the W she got that W.

That Serena is gone, replaced by a player that can’t stay healthy long enough to get her body healthy enough to give her a fighting chance at the Grand Slam level. She was handled rather swiftly by 20-year-old Sonya Kenin, an American firecracker that owned the moment and the stage much better than Williams.

Sounds crazy but it’s true. Williams’ best days are clearly behind her, but there has been a prevailing sentiment that she could win another few Slams even so. Now how do we feel about that?

7. Say a prayer for the pretenders

We saw so many strong performances from men’s singles players on week one. Stefanos Tsitsipas showed incredible tennis and fight—he looks like he is destined for super stardom. Roger Federer is back in Paris and playing regal tennis on clay, something that many didn’t expect. Dominic Thiem is an absolute animaux sauvage and even though he’s had to go four sets in all three of his matches he has been a joy to watch. Juan Martin del Potro has also been magnificent. But their last Métro stop is the semi-finals, and time is running out. Paris is a two-horse town, one named Rafa, the other Nole.

8. Can we have a do over?

Gosh it would have been great if Petra Kvitova didn’t get hurt. Gosh it would have been great if Kiki Bertens didn’t get sick. Gosh it would have been great if Victoria Azarenka didn’t have to play a top seed in the second round of everything. Gosh it would have been great if Bianca Andreescu skipped Miami and played the clay season with a healthy shoulder. But alas, there are no do overs in tennis—only lets.

9. Hot Halepeno

Quietly Simona Halep is mounting a very solid title defense in Roland Garros. She’s got a beautiful draw as well. It feels like this could be her tournament to win—but what happens to her when the media starts telling her that?

10. Unlikely heroes

16 players won their first match at a major in Paris this week, and two of them are into the second week. Ever heard of Aliona Bolsova of Spain? She’s into the round of 16 with a ranking of 137. The 21-year-old is Spanish-Moldovan. How about Juan Ignacio Londero? He came from out of nowhere to win the Cordoba title this year and now he’s into the round of 16. That’s the good news. The bad news is he faces the King of Clay next.