Roland Garros misses Rafael Nadal, but the show went on

I kind of feel like—and everyone says it—tennis has a short memory. You focus so much on yourself and on your tournament that you honestly don’t care who is there in the locker room or not. Right now, everyone is crazy about their first rounds. Daniil Medvedev, No. 2 seed, on the absence of Rafael Nadal after 18 consecutive appearances—and 14 titles—at Roland Garros.

Rafael Nadal is absent from the Roland Garros draw for the first time in 19 years. Yet the sun still rose over Roland Garros on Sunday morning. The birds in the Bois de Boulogne chirped and sang while early-arriving tennis fans spilled from the subway cars and hurried along the Avenue de la Porte-d’Auteuil toward the tournament grounds, navigating through the scalpers and leafleteers.

Another French Open was about to begin. Under bright blue skies the air was crisp and clear, a refreshing 71 degrees. The breeze was light, 10 to 15 m.p.h., but noticeable enough to serve as a reminder that change is always in the air. Things always move along.

In the months leading up to this 98th edition of Roland Garros, the topic du jour—every jour—appeared to be whether or not the living legend would compete on the red clay of Roland Garros for a 19th successive year. (That’s not hyperbole; a statue of Nadal on the grounds attests to that.) Then, after Nadal generated headlines by withdrawing, the narrative shifted to what the tournament would be like without him.

As it turned out, it would be like every French Open, including that seemingly endless string of them dominated by the Spanish lefty. The players, consumed by heady blend of enthusiasm and anxiety, immersed themselves in their elaborate preparations. Fans tried to grab glimpses of their heroes at the Competitors’ Entrance, where a string of the familiar Renault tournament cars wrapped with signage like race cars discharged the players with their colorful bags. There was no longer any time to reflect on Nadal.

The overall opening day vibe at Roland Garros was very different from the days leading up to the start of play, when player after player paid homage to Nadal with anecdotes and observations. The degree to which Nadal is respected and admired by his peers—how woven he is into their lives, regardless of his presence—was clear.

It's a little sad, honestly. Casper Ruud told reporters a day before the start of play.

“My earliest memory of watching tennis is him (Nadal) winning his first Roland Garros. From there on—I was like six years old—I said to myself, ‘I always want to play tennis on TV one day’. That's sort of where my dream to become a professional player started. . . It's a little strange, but, you know, the tournament still goes on. No one is sort of bigger than the sport.”

Iga Swiatek, top seed in the womens’ draw, found her inner fan confused.

This time he's not going to be here, so it's going to be a little bit harder for me to find my favorite, you know. Iga Swiatek

Novak Djokovic, who has a greater vested interest than Swiatek in the absence of his great rival, was truthful about his feelings. It was only half in jest when he remarked:

Honestly, I don't miss him being in the draw, you know. Novak Djokovic

Nevertheless, Djokovic added, “You know, a lot of people retired him already 10 years ago but he kept going, which is something I respect and admire. Even after having a tough injury and even after going through so much in your career and achieving so much you still have to kind of find that drive. . .it made me wonder, you know, it made me think about my career and how long I’m going to play. . . I felt also a little bit emotional about what he was saying.”

But such feelings were left back at the gate on game day, at least for most players. Much as Nadal might be missed, there was business to be done, not all of it pure fun and games. The program on Court Phillipe Chatrier began with a somber remainder of the perilous state of the world as Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus faced Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine, the nation systematically being destroyed by Russia with aid from Belarus. It was a sad spectacle, ultimately claimed by Sabalenka.

On other courts and throughout the day, though, the players chased their opponents’ shots, sliding into them like so many Ice Capades stars. They smacked the soles of their shoes with their racquets to dislodge the clay, like old crones beating dust out of hanging carpets. Crafty little kids took advantage of quiet moments at key stages of a match to sound out the bullfighter’s fanfare, “Pa, pa, pa, pa, Papa, Pam Para Pum!.” and spectators dutifully responded with resounding, “Ole!”

Dan Evans obliterated a water bottle with a swing of his racquet, earning a point penalty. John Isner got embroiled in another intense, fifth-set tiebreaker. Karolina Muchova knocked off No. 8 seed Maria Sakkari, but her Greek compatriot, No. 5 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, blasted his way through in four sets. It was a typical Day One at a major.

Sebastian Korda, who last won a match in early February and has been off the tour with a wrist injury, made a successful comeback with a win. Afterwards, he took time to reflect upon the missing titan of Roland Garros. His story was much like that of Ruud’s.

Korda idolized Nadal growing up, and even named his cat “Rafa.” Nadal’s longevity ensured that Korda got the chance to square up against his paragon, at the 2020 French Open. Nadal spanked the then-19-year old phenom in straight sets, then complied with the youngster’s request for an autographed shirt. The garment currently, signed with words of encouragement from Nadal, still hangs in Korda’s bedroom.

After winning his first-round match on Sunday Korda said, “Ever since I started watching tennis he was always the guy. I think that’s one of the most impressive things in tennis history, maybe sports history, is how many times he’s won here and how much he’s dominated here. Yeah, he’s definitely missed.”

Korda then issued a warning to his fellow ATP pros:

I think next year he’ll be back here, and back to his old ways. Sebastian Korda on Rafael Nadal