Smash pow-wow: Djokovic, Muguruza & Roland Garros best bits

With the dust (or should that be rain?) settling on another year at Roland Garros, it seems only fitting that this week’s pow-wow focuses on all-things French Open. Do you agree with our panel?

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Fast forward two years, who is going to be the player to stop Novak Djokovic reaching 20 major titles?
Viv Christie: Will anybody stop Novak from hitting that milestone? Rewind two years and we’d written up Grigor Dimitrov and Milos Raonic as the next two takeover champs: the best result for both those players remains a lone Slam semifinal. Remember too that Juan Martin del Potro was considered a multi-Slam certainty before injury derailed his course. If we must anoint the next star, Dominic Thiem is an obvious choice. While next generation peers Nick Kyrgios, Alexander Zverev and Borna Coric are making impressive inroads, Thiem is making the most consistent progress – a six-time titlist, the only achievement missing on the 22-year-old’s CV until now was a Slam breakthrough. A Roland Garros semifinal provided it and should open the floodgates to bigger achievements. Novak would be right to be wary of the gifted young Austrian.

Paul Moore: Who’s going to stop Novak Djokovic? The only player I can see stopping him is Novak Djokovic. And by that I mean through injury or general burnout. Sure, there are some great players bouncing around, but are they phenomenal? Are they like Roger, Rafa or Novak in their teen years? Not even close. Novak has a straight run at the majors for the next three to four years in my opinion.

Leigh Rogers: Djokovic’s winning run has been incredible and to be honest, it’s hard to see who is going to challenge him. Touted Grand Slam champions such as Milos Raonic and Kei Nishikori haven’t delivered on their promise yet. It doesn’t mean they won’t, but it’s hard to see them winning multiple titles anytime soon. As for the younger brigade, Dominic Thiem made a major breakthrough at Roland Garros, Nick Kyrgios is a big-game performer and other young talents such as Borna Coric and Alexander Zverev are showing potential – yet can they reach Novak’s level? It doesn’t appear likely. In the next two years Djokovic’s biggest opponent is going to be himself. Whether he can stay fit and highly motivated might be the biggest factor for if, or when, he passes Federer’s all-time Grand Slam record.

Is Muguruza the real deal or will she be another one Slam wonder?
VC: I have no doubt a French Open title will be the first of several Slams for Garbine Mugurza. At age 22, she’s achieved her major breakthrough earlier than most peers in the current era so confidence will be high at other Grand Slams – especially when you consider that clay isn’t even her best surface. The only glitch at Roland Garros occurred when Garbine dropped a set against Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in the first round but from there, it all came together when it most mattered. She played better in every match before calmly dismantling Serena Williams’ in only her second major final. It had been a patchy season until then but the Spaniard showed she has the mental strength to match her obvious physical ones – I sense that Garbine saves her best for the biggest stages and there’ll be many of those as she stars at future Slams.

PM: In a word: yes. Garbine Muguruza is the player that the WTA has been utterly desperate to find. She plays entertaining, attacking tennis. She has shown that she can win on clay, grass and hard. And do you know what else? She’s a good person with a great personality. And with Sam Sumyk in her corner, she’s got a proven coach who knows how focus his charges on the one thing that really matters: winning.

LR: How can you argue that Garbine Muguruza is not the real deal? At 22, she is a Grand Slam champion who defeated the world No.1 and one of the best players of all-time in the final to win the title. It was no fluke. The Spaniard is a capable performer on all surfaces, so there is no doubt she will add to her Grand Slam haul. Just how many depends on her consistency, something that the new world No.2 has struggled with so far in her career.

What was your highlight and lowlight of the French Open?
VC: Highlight: I was thrilled to see Sam Stosur’s resurgence – and perhaps when we least expected it, considering that Roland Garros was her last tournament with David Taylor as coach and that she entered the tournament struggling with a wrist injury. Maybe those factors provided Sam with a certain freedom, because it certainly seemed like she was playing without pressure as she dismantled two former finalists (among others) on her path to the semifinals. Reinstated as top Aussie (having returned to world No.14 with her semifinal run), Stosur also re-established her credentials a Grand Slam threat.
Lowlight: The mid-tournament withdrawal of Rafael Nadal came as a shock – although perhaps in hindsight, it shouldn’t have been. As Stan Wawrinka later noted, Nadal’s injury problems (in this case, his left wrist) are not new and we’ve been writing about the high price of his physically-demanding style for years. Still, the realisation that Rafa couldn’t compete at his best Slam sent many hearts plummeting and coupled with the absence of Roger Federer for the first time in 69 majors, it was a harsh reminder that we should cherish our champions while they’re still thriving.

PM: Highlight: Garbine Muguruza winning the women’s title. The WTA has needed a player who can consistently challenge Serena in the majors, and Garbine is that. What’s more, if Vika can have a run of injury-free tournaments, there may actually be a rosy future for women’s tennis coming around the corner…
Lowlight: The weather (what else could it be?). It’s been a long time since a Grand Slam has been so detrimentally impacted by the weather. Day after day of cold wet weather made Roland Garros look hideously outdated in relation to its roofier counterparts.

LR: Highlight: Sam Stosur’s return to form. It was great to see the Australian hit top form in Paris once again. Her wins over Lucie Safarova and Simona Halep were steely and proved she is one of the game’s best claycourters. Stosur’s lack of consistency often means her talent is under-appreciated, but this run reiterated just how good she is.
Lowlight: Rafael Nadal’s injury withdrawal. Not only was it shocking, especially considering his dominant wins in the opening two rounds, but it left a dark cloud lingering over the tournament (excuse the pun). Novak Djokovic was a deserving champion and earnt his victory, yet Nadal’s withdrawal poses a ‘what if’ question about the win. It’s not fair on the Serb – and no tennis fan wants to see Rafa injured either.