What happened the last time Rafael Nadal missed the French Open at Roland-Garros? And what can we learn from it?
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Published 23/05/2023 at 12:56 GMT
What happened the last time Rafael Nadal didn't play the French Open in 2004 - and what can we learn from it ahead of the 2023 edition of the Grand Slam? Nadal, 36, will not be defending his title as he is continuing to recover from injury. In his absence Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz will be the favourites for the men's title, while Iga Swiatek leads the field in the women's draw.
Highlights: Nadal brushes aside Ruud to win record-extending 14th French Open title
Rarely has a player missing a Grand Slam felt like it will leave such a hole in the tournament as it will when Rafael Nadal is absent from the upcoming French Open.
Nadal first played the French Open in 2005, winning on his debut as a 19-year-old. He has played the tournament every year since, winning every time except three.
Nadal will always be a part of the French Open, but what will it be like without the 14-time champion?
To try and consider it, we look back at what happened the last time Nadal didn’t play the French Open back in 2004 – and what could be learnt from that year.
Big names fall early
Nadal didn't feature at the 2004 French Open due to injury.
He had reached the third round of the Australian Open to start the year and won his first-ever meeting against Roger Federer in Miami, but he would play just one clay event in Estoril before missing the next three months of the season.
Federer entered the French Open as world No. 1 - his first Grand Slam atop the rankings.
Even though he was still finding his footing on clay – and had lost in the first round in three of his previous five appearances in Paris – Federer was viewed as one of the leading contenders on the back of winning Wimbledon and the Australian Open in the previous 12 months.
But the world No. 1 was bounced out early, losing to three-time champion Gustavo Kuerten in straight sets in the third round.
“Every year this tournament makes me go over the limit of what I think I can do,” said Kuerten, who was working his way back from hip surgery.
It would be Federer’s only defeat at a Grand Slam in 2004.
Federer was not the only big name to lose in the first week.
Second seed Andy Roddick was not as much of a threat on clay as hard courts or grass, but his second-round defeat to world No. 125 Olivier Mutis was still a shock. An even bigger surprise was defending champion Juan Carlos Ferrero losing to Igor Andreev in the second round, the first time Ferrero had exited the French Open before the semi-finals in his fifth appearance.
Add those defeats to first-round losses for sixth seed Andre Agassi and seventh seed Rainer Schuttler, and the draw was blown open.
Could the same happen again this year? World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz and two-time champion Novak Djokovic look strong contenders for the title, but things don't always pan out as expected.
The surprise early losses in 2004 opened the door for an unlikely name to make a run…
Henman makes semi-finals
Tim Henman had not done much at the French Open before 2004, winning nine matches in eight previous visits.
But it was at the age of 29, and under the guidance of coach Paul Annaconne, that Henman had his finest fortnight on clay.
As the top seeds fell around him, Henman, who had suffered with a virus ahead of the tournament, showed fight to come from two sets down to win his opening match against unseeded Cyril Saulnier. He followed up with two straight-set wins before again rallying from losing the first two sets to beat French wild card Michael Llodra.
If Henman making the quarters was a surprise, what came next was even more so as he beat 22nd Juan Ignacio Chela, a clay specialist, in straight sets.
Henman was flying, and looked as though he might cause the upset of all upsets in the semis as he took the first set against Guillermo Coria, at the time the best clay-court player in the world.
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Tim Henman at the 2004 French Open
Image credit: Getty Images
Coria had only lost once on clay that season but looked rattled as Henman went 4-2 up in the second set.
Unfortunately for Henman it didn’t last as Coria turned the match around with a run of 13 straight games. Henman, who had already lost in four Wimbledon semi-finals, did have a chance to serve out the fourth set after coming from 3-0 down, but Coria battled back to book his place in the final.
"I played the best clay-court player in the world, I don't think too many people would argue with that, and I'm disappointed with the result. That's good and bad I guess,” said Henman.
"It's been a massive two weeks for me, a big breakthrough in terms of my Grand Slam career outside of Wimbledon."
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Swiatek says thigh injury ‘shouldn’t be anything serious’ ahead of French Open
Could any Brits follow in Henman's footsteps and make a surprise run? It looks a tall order.
Andy Murray has pulled out to focus on the grass season, while British No. 1 Cameron Norrie hasn’t perhaps kicked on as expected after his strong clay results in South America in February. Dan Evans will be hoping for a kind draw to boost his chances of getting past the second round for the first time, and Jack Draper will be hoping a good week in Lyon will stand him in good stead after he missed Madrid and Rome with injury.
Gaudio champion as Coria collapses
The 2004 French Open final was an all-Argentinian clash.
From the four Argentinians that had made the quarters, it was Coria and Gaston Gaudio who reached the last Sunday.
The contest was going as expected as third seed Coria took the first two sets against world No. 44 Gaudio. Coria, 22, looked set to cement his place as the best clay courter around by winning his first Grand Slam title.
But he couldn’t get over the line.
Up 40-15 on serve at 4-4 in the third set, Coria lost a remarkable point during which he had Gaudio running all over the court. That proved key as Gaudio broke to lead 5-4 and then served out the set.
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Guillermo Coria (L) and Gaston Gaudio
Image credit: Getty Images
With Coria suffering with cramping, Gaudio took the fourth set to level the match.
Coria recovered to lead 4-2 in the fifth set but again couldn’t close it out, being broken twice when serving for the win and also passing up two championship points. In the end it was Gaudio who ended up lifting the trophy.
Although Mariano Puerta and Marcos Baghdatis would both make Grand Slam finals in the following 18 months, Gaudio is the last unseeded man to win a major.
That streak seems unlikely to end next month given the strength of the leading contenders, but a surprise finalist is not out of the question.
If Alcaraz and Djokovic end up on the same side of the draw – which is now possible after Daniil Medvedev won the Italian Open – then the other side could present possibilities to several players.
Two new women’s finalists
It wasn’t just on the men’s draw where there were surprises in 2004.
Defending champion Justine Henin was shocked in the second round by unseeded Italian Tathiana Garbin. Henin had battled a virus ahead of the Grand Slam and didn't look at her best as she suffered her only loss at the French Open between 2003 and 2007.
Her exit looked as though it might pave the way for Serena Williams, Amelie Mauresmo, Venus Williams or Lindsay Davenport to win the title.
Instead it was Anastasia Myskina and Elena Dementieva who met in the final.
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Anastasia Myskina captured her first Grand Slam at the 2004 French Open
Image credit: Getty Images
Seeded sixth and ninth respectively, Myskina saved a match point in the fourth round against Svetlana Kuznetsova while Dementieva beat both Davenport and Mauresmo in straight sets.
The final – the first Grand Slam final for both - was a one-sided affair as Myskina thrashed her fellow Russian 6-1 6-2.
Could two surprise finalists pop up again this season?
Eurosport’s Barbara Schett thinks it’s between Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina for the title, but it's far from a foregone conclusion. Sabalenka hasn’t yet made it past the third round in Paris while Rybakina has only done so once in four appearances. World No. 1 Swiatek looks the strong favourite but comes into the tournament with a slight injury worry.
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