We’re halfway through Roland Garros — Quotes from Week 1
By Joey Dillon
The IX: Tennis Tuesday with Joey Dillon, June 3, 2025
Howdy, y’all and Happy Tennis Tuesday! We’re into the second week at Roland Garros and the tennis has been pretty stellar considering how open the field is. For the first time since 2005, all Top 8 seeds advanced to the fourth round of a major — something that is kind of insane. Unfortunately, two upsets prevented the Elite Eight from forming the quarterfinals. The four matchups are:
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(1) Aryna Sabalenka vs. (8) Zheng Qinwen
(13) Elina Svitolina vs. (5) Iga Swiatek
(6) Mirra Andreeva vs. (WC) Lois Boisson
(7) Madison Keys vs. (2) Coco Gauff
Now, I won’t continue predictions, but I will say that both Sabalenka and Gauff, to me have been the strongest contenders in Paris but it’s really anyone else’s game. Instead, I kind of wanted to grade how the second Grand Slam of the year has been and what’s been a highlight and what… hasn’t.
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Lets start with my biggest kudos of the fortnight and something I wasn’t anticipating raving about — TNT’s coverage.
TNT is the main broadcaster of the tournament, which in the past has usually gone to both Tennis Channel and ESPN, with NBC taking over the later portions. This year, they lead the charge with match coverage, as well as an in-studio desk with some fantastic analysis from players like Sloane Stephens, Caroline Wozniacki and (surprising) debut commentator Venus Williams. If you have a Max subscription, they will be streaming every match of the tournament — including qualifying — with a multi-court view option, too. And lastly, TruTV airs a daily wrap show but has also been showing quite a bit of doubles coverage, which you all know I’m a big fan of promoting.
Getting players like Williams and Andre Agassi and (former) competing broadcasters like Jon Wertheim, Lindsay Davenport Darren Cahill and the McEnroe brothers is a massive get for TNT. Where the channel has truly shined has been their desk coverage. From light banter with players post-match to historical context from around the grounds to the tactical insight during point play, it’s truly been a delight. Is it just a placebo affect from the monotony we’ve had for decades or has TNT unlocked the code to truly bring tennis coverage to the modern era? A lot of the coverage has been reminiscent of the NFL and NBA coverage we’re so used to enjoying — a far cry from the stuffiness that tennis has long struggled with. It’s been a fantastic debut for them and I’m excited to see how they will iron some kinks (score ticker/graphics, playing the same matches on multiple channels, etc.).
Something I also love about Roland Garros is that they will somehow always produce a surprising Cinderella run. Clarisa Fernandez, Nadia Podoroska, Martina Trevisan and Tamara Zidansek come to mind when you ask about a player that popped out of nowhere just to find themselves in the Roland Garros semifinals. Lois Boisson could add her name to the list — in her Grand Slam debut!
The French wildcard was supposed to make her debut in Paris last year after bolting up the rankings after a surprise WTA 125 title, but the week prior at a different WTA 125 event, she tore her ACL and was out for nine months. She came back to the tour in February and has built a 16-7 record and the French red clay is where she’s been a standout. She earned a WTA main draw win in Rouen (where she went viral when her opponent Harriet Dart told the umpire she needed to put on deodorant) and recently won a W75 ITF World Tour event in Saint-Gaudens. However, she’s put on a show in Paris, knocking out four players including No. 24 Elise Mertens and No. 4 Jessica Pegula to reach the quarterfinals. Entering the tournament ranked No. 361, the Frenchwoman will shatter her former career-high of No. 152 and will enter the Top 100 should she upset No. 6 Mirra Andreeva.
Now, for the not-so-good: the match scheduling at the tournament. The irony that former World No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo is the tournament director and not giving equal treatment to center court matches is a bit insane to me. Since 2021, only 4 of the 44 matches scheduled for the new “primetime” evening sessions on Philippe Chatrier have gone to women. Mauresmo said the tournament’s partnership with Amazon Prime requires them to only have one match in the session and because women’s matches are two-out-of-three sets while the men are three-out-of-five, it boils down to session length. Mauresmo said that no players have directly complained to her about the treatment but stars like Ons Jabeur, Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek have noted in the press that more equality should be given.
With Grand Slams being ITF events and not technically regulated under the WTA, it’s hard to see how the tournament will right this ship in the near future — especially when broadcasting is (allegedly) the big reason behind it.
Until then, we listen AND judge. On to links!
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This Week in Women’s Tennis
Apparently coach Stefano Vukov has formally appealed his one-year ban from the WTA after the tour investigated his alleged mistreatment of Elena Rybakina.
50 years ago, Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert faced off for the first time at Roland Garros. Half a century later, they’ve formed one of the strongest bonds between rivals in sports.
It was really great to see Venus Williams, Sloane Stephens and Coco Gauff get together at the TNT desk, showing three “generations” of Black WTA players at the top of the game.
I’ve mentioned it here, but Victoria Mboko is a player you’re going to hear from for a very long time.
Note to self, don’t play a French player at Roland Garros.
The SoCal Pro Tennis Series has helped jumpstart the rankings for players like Iva Jovic, who made the second round in Paris as a wildcard.
Perhaps the toughest opponent of Coco Gauff in her opener? Her memory:
Hailey Baptiste found herself in the second week of a Grand Slam for the first time, but did have a bit of a wardrobe challenge en route.
While Roland Garros is still happening, the grass season has officially gotten underway!
Serena Williams, who was awarded Spain’s Princess of Asturias Prize for Sports, joined Mr. Beast’s YouTube channel to see who would win at tennis in a game of 1 versus 4.
Tereza Valentova left Roland Garros last year the junior champion and this year found herself in the main draw via qualifying and earned a win in the main draw.
Tweet of the Week
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Five at The IX: Week 1 Quotes
“I would not believe that if you told me that two weeks ago. But I trust in myself, but yeah, for sure, if you say that, no, I can’t believe (it). Now it’s that, and I’m so happy about it.” – Lois Boisson on her dream Grand Slam debut run
“Every time I see a young player coming, they have a lot of hunger, for sure. They fight a lot, for sure, because it’s their dream place. But same as me, it’s my dream place too. When you arrive in the professional tour, you don’t think about anymore about the age because everybody’s the same. You just face another opponent. Doesn’t matter for me. If is world No. 1, whether it’s 100, doesn’t matter the age.” – Zheng Qinwen on facing younger opponents
“Well, the most important thing is to play with a racquet.” – Coco Gauff, who forgot her racquets walking on court for her first-round match
“I hope whoever is making the decision, I don’t think they have daughters, because I don’t think they want to treat their daughters like this.” – Ons Jabeur on Roland Garros prioritizing men’s matches on the schedule
“The court is so beautiful, and it’s much bigger. The moment you step on the Chatrier, you feel like, ‘Okay, this is a big stage, and this is where I’m meant to be. This is where I want to compete, and I want to fight, and I want to bring my best tennis’. So I think it’s all about the energy of the stadium.” – Aryna Sabalenka on getting to play on the biggest stage
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| By: Annie Peterson, @AnnieMPeterson, AP Women’s Soccer |
| Tuesdays: Tennis |
| By: Joey Dillon, @JoeyDillon, Freelance Tennis Writer |
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