Night five of the French Open brought a night of chaos and a lot of discussion about crowds. Persistent rain for the past three days had disrupted the tournament, either canceling evening play or severely restricting it. However, on this day, a night session was held, providing spectators with some thrilling matches.
Flavio Cobolli, who had previously buckled when facing Rafael Nadal in Barcelona, put up a fierce fight against the 13th seed Holger Rune. From being two sets down, Cobolli managed to win the next two sets and took the match to a fifth set. Both players pushed each other to higher levels, with Cobolli playing aggressive tennis and Rune showcasing his defensive skills. At 0-5 in the ten-point tiebreak, Rune looked like he was about to buckle, but he made an incredible comeback and won the match.
Meanwhile, several matches in the men’s draw went to five sets, displaying remarkable cooperation from the players. Karen Khachanov, usually a reliable opponent in the final round-of-16, suffered a surprise defeat against lucky loser Jozef Kovalik. Arthur Rinderknech had to retire from his match due to injury after going two sets up against Tomas Martin Etcheverry. Casper Ruud and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina played an epic match, showcasing the true spirit of Roland Garros.
On the women’s side, Peyton Stearns caused an upset by defeating 10th seed Daria Kasatkina. Bianca Andreescu continued her remarkable comeback from injury and beat 23rd seed Anna Kalinskaya. These results came after earlier shocks in the day, with Danielle Collins, Jelena Ostapenko, Marta Kostyuk, and Linda Noskova all being eliminated from the tournament.
Elena Rybakina, the world No 4, drew attention for her dismissive attitude towards the press after her match. Her remarks sparked a discussion about the expectations of players and the role of traditional media in tennis. With the rise of player-led documentaries and fan pages, players are becoming less reliant on traditional sources of exposure.
Players also had differing opinions on the crowds at the tournament. While Iga Swiatek scolded the crowd for making noise during her match, other players like Felix Auger-Aliassime and Paula Badosa didn’t mind the noise and said they can adapt to it. Daniil Medvedev suggested that either it should be quiet or super loud all the time, and Novak Djokovic agreed.
Overall, the fifth day of the French Open brought thrilling matches, surprising upsets, and discussions about the role of media and the impact of crowds on players. As the tournament continues, fans can look forward to more exciting matches and unpredictable outcomes.