Roland-Garros, last round of qualifying for Paris – Libération

The Parisian Grand Slam, which begins this Sunday, May 26, is the last opportunity to score points to qualify for the Games. Six French people are already almost certain to participate, according to the regulations which are complex to say the least.

In 2024, the respite will be brief for Parisian clay. Manhandled like every year for three weeks between the end of May and the beginning of June, the ocher of Roland-Garros will return to service in the heart of summer to host the Olympic Games, a first. The Parisian Grand Slam which opens on Sunday is also the last tournament during which players can score points in order to validate their ticket for the Games and hope to compete in one of the five events on the program in two big months (men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles, mixed doubles).

In singles, the equation is simple: you just need to be one of the 56 best players over the past year, between the end of the 2023 and 2024 editions of Roland-Garros. However, with a little complexity: each nation can only send four representatives for the men and the same number for the women. For example, the American Sebastian Korda, 27th in the world on Friday afternoon, would not be part of the adventure because four of his compatriots are better ranked than him. His place would therefore go to the 57th in the world, the Serbian Dusan Lajovic at the time of writing these lines, who would thus have the “simple” merit of representing a nation that does not already have four qualifiers.

The French should, a priori, not suffer from this rule. Among the men, only four are currently in the top 56: Ugo Humbert, Adrian Mannarino, Arthur Fils and Gaël Monfils. Everyone has already scored enough points not to normally have to achieve an exploit on the Parisian ocher to ensure their place at the Olympics.

The only possible surprise: Adrian Mannarino has already announced that he does not intend to participate in Roland-Garros, due to his repeated catastrophic performances on earth. But behind, the other French people are far away: there are around ten of them fluctuating between 70th and 100th place. One of them would have to reach at least the round of 16 at Roland to hope for a place at the Games.

Only two French women?

In women, there are even fewer of them able to make the Olympics in singles: only Caroline Garcia and Clara Burel are currently in the top 56. Behind, Diane Parry (65th Friday) and Océane Dodin (74th) can still get an Olympic ticket , provided you obtain good results at Porte d’Auteuil. Finally, as every rule has its exceptions, the International Tennis Federation benefits from two invitations “reserved for Olympic champions or Grand Slam singles winners who have not been able to qualify”.

In doubles, the equation is even more complex and even the players are forced to take out the calculators. For women and men, there will be 32 pairs. The ten best doubles players in the world are automatically qualified and can choose a partner from their country. “After which, the quotas will be distributed according to the combined ranking of the partners,” explains the site Olympics.com. The French women should be represented by Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic, who have won Roland-Garros twice in doubles together. Among the men, the results of this Parisian tournament will be essential to decide between two duos, that of Edouard Roger-Vasselin and Nicolas Mahut, and that of Fabien Reboul and Sadio Doumbia.

In mixed, finally, 16 pairs will compete for a medal. To participate, you must already be qualified for the Games, in singles or doubles. Caroline Garcia and Edouard Roger-Vasselin could make a pair, provided that the Frenchwoman agrees to engage on three tables at the same time.