PARIS — For quite some time, there's usually been a sense of certainty at the French Open.
That was particularly so on the men's side, with Rafael Nadal ruling over the red clay of Roland-Garros the way no one has dominated any tournament in tennis history. He would go there, he would win nearly every match he played — how's 112-4 for a career record? — and he would head home with another trophy, 14 in all.
Simultaneously simple and spectacular. So, too, albeit over a much shorter span, is Iga Swiatek's recent control over the women's event, claiming four of five championships, including the past three.
And now? As play begins Sunday, things are less clear, and not just because the 38-year-old Nadal is no longer competing and will be honored that day at Court Philippe-Chatrier. The owner of 22 Grand Slam titles retired last season, playing for the final time at the Davis Cup. His final French Open ended with a loss to Alexander Zverev last May and his final Roland-Garros appearance ended with an exit in singles against Novak Djokovic at the Summer Olympics, followed by an exit in doubles alongside Carlos Alcaraz.
There could be some new champions at the French Open
''Will it be very interesting? I think so,'' said Grigor Dimitrov, a quarterfinalist at last year's French Open and previously a semifinalist at the other majors. ''Could we see potentially some different winners and different results? Absolutely.''
He was speaking specifically about the men's bracket. But he could have been talking about the women, too.
''There's ... 20 different people that you wouldn't be surprised if they end up winning the tournament,'' said Madison Keys, the American whose first Slam trophy arrived at the Australian Open in January. ''Part of it is because we've kind of lost some of our legends, obviously. Like, there's no longer Serena Williams in every draw, where you just assume she's going to win."
