French Open 2015: Final Grades for Top Stars at Roland Garros
Was Serena Williams dominant enough while winning her 20th Grand Slam singles title to earn an A, or perhaps an A-plus, for her performance?
Should Stanislas Wawrinka get even higher marks for his remarkable performance in knocking off No. 1 Novak Djokovic to capture his first French Open crown?
We graded 18 players (nine men and nine women) on their performances in the 2015 French Open. All eight semifinalists were automatically included, as well as the most prominent names in tennis.
Our grading was based on a number of factors, the most important of which was how far the player advanced. Also taken into consideration were the caliber of the opposition, the level of dominance shown and the player's success relative to expectations. In some cases, we factored in the historical significance of the achievement.
Players are presented in inverse order of their grades, with the highest-graded player appearing last.
Simona Halep
1 of 18
2015 French Open Expectations
Simona Halep seemed destined to be the next great player in women's tennis when she reached the finals of the 2014 French Open. She followed that up with a semifinal berth at Wimbledon, and it appeared that it was just a matter of time before she claimed her first Grand Slam singles title.
Halep, 23, lost in the quarterfinals in the Australian Open and had only moderate success in the clay-court events leading up to the French Open. Nonetheless, she was ranked No. 3 in the world and was expected to be a contender in the French Open.
2015 French Open Performance
Halep produced her most disappointing performance since becoming a prominent player. She struggled more than expected in a 7-5, 6-4 first-round victory over 90th-ranked Evgeniya Rodina and then lost in the second round to 70th-ranked Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, 7-5, 6-1.
For the third straight major, Halep has failed to reach the semifinals. More distressing is the fact that she has wilted in the final set of her losses in recent Grand Slam tournaments. Although she remained competitive in her French Open loss to Maria Sharapova last year, losing the final set 6-4, that was not the case in her other Grand Slam defeats since the start of 2014. She lost the final set in those five events by scores of 6-0, 6-2, 6-2, 6-0 and 6-1.
Final Grade: D
Eugenie Bouchard
2 of 18
2015 French Open Expectations
It seemed 21-year-old Eugenie Bouchard was ready to break through with a Grand Slam title at any moment. Her powerful game and her ability to play her best tennis at major events made her a player to watch at the French Open.
She was the most consistent player in the world at the Grand Slam events last year, reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open and French Open and the finals at Wimbledon before losing in the fourth round at the U.S. Open.
She reached the quarterfinals at this year's Australian Open, but there were signs of trouble when she played poorly in the clay-court tournaments leading into the French Open. In her three clay-court tuneup events, she lost in the first round of two and the second round of the third. Nonetheless, she was ranked No. 6 in the world, and there was the belief that she would elevate her game at a Grand Slam event as she had in the past.
2015 French Open Performance
Bouchard had her worst result ever in a major. She had participated in the main draw at eight previous Grand Slam events and had never lost in the first round. That changed at the 2015 French Open, when 44th-ranked Kristina Mladenovic took her out 6-4, 6-4 in her opening match.
It was a difficult draw for Bouchard, who had to face someone who had defeated two top-five players, Simona Halep and Li Na, last year. Nonetheless, she did not show the same flair and skill she displayed throughout 2014, and you have to wonder whether she can regain it at Wimbledon on her favorite surface, grass.
Final Grade: D
Maria Sharapova
3 of 18
2015 French Open Expectations
As the defending champion and the No. 2-ranked woman in the world, Maria Sharapova came into the French Open as one of the prime contenders. Only Serena Williams was a bigger favorite than Sharapova, who was a finalist at the 2015 Australian Open and had reached the finals of the French Open each of the previous three years.
She had missed some time in the spring because of a leg injury, but she seemed to be rounding into form when she won the Italian Open in her final clay-court tuneup tournament. It left one question: Could she beat Williams, who had defeated Sharapova 16 times in a row over the previous 11 years?
2015 French Open Performance
Sharapova did not advance far enough in the French Open to get another shot at Williams.
She won her first three matches without the loss of a set, including a 6-3, 6-4 victory over 26th-seeded Samantha Stosur in the third round. But Sharapova's bid for a third French Open title in four years came to an abrupt halt in the fourth round. Lucie Safarova, the No. 13 seed, knocked her out in straight sets 7-6, 6-4.
Sharapova failed to take advantage of opportunities and double-faulted on several key points while losing to a player she had beaten five times in a row.
The illness that had her coughing and sniffling through much of the tournament probably affected Sharapova. But the bottom line is that she lost to player ranked outside the top 10 in the fourth round—it was her worst showing at Roland Garros since 2010.
Final Grade: C
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Tomas Berdych
4 of 18
2015 French Open Expectations
Tomas Berdych had quietly climbed to No. 4 in the world rankings entering the French Open, but he seemed to be too erratic to capture a Grand Slam title on clay. The hot-and-cold nature of his style is demonstrated in his results at Roland Garros. He lost in the first round in 2009, 2011 and 2013, but he got to the semifinals in 2010 and the quarterfinals last year.
Berdych has been consistent this year, though. Although he has yet to win a title in 2015, he reached the finals of three events, including the clay-court event in Monte Carlo. He will not be considered an elite player until he wins a Grand Slam title, but he had a favorable draw and figured to do some damage at Roland Garros if he continued his strong play.
2015 French Open Performance
Berdych lost in the fourth round, again falling short of the victories needed to put him in the class of Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal. Berdych brushed aside three unseeded players before meeting 14th-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the fourth round.
Berdych seemed on the verge of a major comeback against Tsonga. Berdych lost the first two sets, and Tsonga was serving at 5-4 in the third with a chance to close out the match. Berdych won that game and then rallied from a 3-0 deficit in the tiebreaker to win the third set.
When Berdych then raced to a 3-1 lead in the fourth set, he seemed to be in control. However, the chance for a career-changing victory faded away quickly as he lost the next five games and the match 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3.
Final Grade: C
Petra Kvitova
5 of 18
2015 French Open Expectations
Both of Petra Kvitova's Grand Slam singles titles came at Wimbledon, and her game is better suited to grass than the slow red clay at Roland Garros. However, we could not be completely dismiss her because she was a semifinalist at the 2012 French Open and had beaten Serena Williams on her way to winning the clay-court event in Madrid three weeks before this year's French Open. Though not a favorite, the No. 4-ranked Kvitova was someone to watch.
2015 French Open Performance
Kvitova never looked dominant in the tournament and lost to 24th-ranked Timea Bacsinszky in three sets in the fourth round. She needed three sets to get past her first two unseeded opponents, before playing her best match of the tournament in a 6-3, 6-2 victory over 30th-ranked Irina-Camelia Begu.
Kvitova won the first set against Bacsinszky convincingly but was dominated in the next two sets of a 2-6, 6-0, 6-3 loss. The result was not a complete surprise since Bacsinszky had defeated Kvitova in their only previous meeting earlier this year. A fourth-round exit at the French Open is about what you would anticipate from Kvitova. She will be expected to improve on that at Wimbledon.
Final Grade: C+
Madison Keys
6 of 18
2015 French Open Expectations
American hopes were high for Madison Keys, a rising star who beat three seeded players to reach the semifinals of the 2015 Australian Open. Her powerful game and poise were opening eyes, as her ranking rose from No. 35 entering the Australian Open to No. 16 entering the French Open.
She had not had much success in the clay-court tournaments heading into the French Open, and she lost in the first round and the second round of her only two previous trips to Roland Garros. It made it difficult to know what to expect from the 20-year-old Keys, whose game was still evolving.
2015 French Open Performance
Keys lost in the third round to 23rd-seeded Timea Bacsinszky. That result was not surprising given her recent performances on clay, but it was a disappointment after her promising showing in Australia. After beating two unseeded players in routine fashion, she lost rather decisively to Bacsinszky 6-4, 6-2.
Keys knows she is not yet a sound clay-court player, saying after her loss, according to ESPNW.com, "I'm kind of sliding all over like a hippo on ice."
The third-round loss amounts to a minor setback for Keys, who expects to fare better at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.
Final Grade: B-
Rafael Nadal
7 of 18
2015 French Open Expectations
Predicting what Rafael Nadal would do at Roland Garros was a major challenge. He had done nothing in 2015 to suggest he could win this year's French Open. Injuries had limited his activity and effectiveness. He had won only one tournament coming into the French Open and had reached the finals in just two of his 10 events in 2015. His ranking had slipped to No. 7, his lowest in more than 10 years.
His draw in the French Open was not favorable, as he was positioned to face No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals. On the other hand, this was the French Open, which Nadal had dominated with unprecedented success. He won the event nine times in the previous 10 years, including the last five years in a row. It was impossible to discount him, regardless of his recent performances.
2015 French Open Performance
Nadal ended up doing exactly what his 2015 results suggested he would do. In fact, getting to the quarterfinals before losing to Djokovic may be considered a success for Nadal, given his struggles this year.
He won his first three matches in straight sets, losing no more than 10 games in any match. He dropped a set to Jack Sock in the fourth round but still recorded a convincing four-set victory. However, Nadal was a non-factor against Djokovic, who had been 0-6 against Nadal at the French Open.
Nadal was competitive in the first set but was wiped away quickly after that 7-5, 6-3, 6-1. Even though the result should have been expected, it is still startling to see Nadal get brushed aside so easily at Roland Garros.
Final Grade: B-
Roger Federer
8 of 18
2015 French Open Expectations
Even though Roger Federer won the 2009 French Open and reached the finals four other times, clay is not his best surface. He had failed to get past the semifinals in his last three trips to Roland Garros, and the patience and consistency needed for success on red clay do not benefit a man who is 33 years old and past his prime.
Furthermore, his success at Grand Slam events was diminishing. He had reached the finals in only one of his past 10 majors and had lost in the third round of the 2015 Australian Open.
However, things lined up perfectly for Federer at the 2015 French Open. He had been playing sound tennis, reaching the finals in five of the eight tournaments he played this year and winning three of them. He was back up to No. 2 in the rankings, and that enabled him to join the other half of the draw from Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. A berth in the finals seemed within reach.
2015 French Open Performance
Federer won his first three matches in straight sets and did well to win his fourth-round match against No. 13-seeded Gael Monfils, who always plays inspired tennis in front of the supportive French fans. With No. 8-seeded Stan Wawrinka and No. 14-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in his path to the finals, Federer had a promising situation.
Federer had beaten Wawrinka in 16 of their 18 previous meetings and was 4-0 against his Swiss countryman in Grand Slam events. Perhaps more significantly, he had beaten Wawrinka rather decisively 6-4, 6-2 two weeks earlier on clay in Italy. But this time he posed no threat to Wawrinka, who blew Federer off the court 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 in their quarterfinal match. It was the sixth time in the last nine majors that Federer failed to reach the semifinals.
Final Grade: B-
Kei Nishikori
9 of 18
2015 French Open Expectations
A Grand Slam title seemed within reach for Kei Nishikori after he got to the finals of the 2014 U.S. Open and the quarterfinals of the 2015 Australian Open. He was ranked No. 5 in the world coming into the French Open, and his style, which is based on grittiness and sound groundstrokes, seemed suited to the slow red clay at Roland Garros.
Nishikori had not had much success in past French Opens, losing in the first round last year and getting no further than the second round three of the four times he participated in the main draw. He seemed ready to break through, though. He had played well in the clay-court events preceding the French Open, even taking a set from No. 1 Novak Djokovic at the Italian Open in early May.
2015 French Open Performance
Nishikori got to the quarterfinals; it was the best showing of his career at Roland Garros and the third straight major in which he advanced at least to the quarterfinals. It was not the breakthrough he was seeking, however.
He breezed through his first four matches, beating three unseeded players in straight sets and getting a walkover against Benjamin Becker in the third round. Nishikori was well-rested for his quarterfinal match against fan favorite Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the No. 14 seed, who had lost to Nishikori in four of their five career meetings.
Tsonga was blowing Nishikori off the court, winning 6-1, 5-2, when the match was interrupted for 40 minutes when a large metal sheet from the scoreboard fell into the crowd. When play resumed, Nishikori became the dominant player. Although he dropped the second set, he rallied to take the third and fourth sets before fading in the fifth set in a 6-1, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3 loss.
The 25-year-old Nishikori offered hints that a French Open crown may be his one day.
Final Grade: B
Jack Sock
10 of 18
2015 French Open Expectations
It says something about the state of American tennis when its best hope is a player ranked 37th, which was the slot held down by Jack Sock heading into the French Open. John Isner, at No. 16, is the only American ranked higher, and Isner's limited arsenal aside from his serve makes him less likely than Sock to win a Grand Slam title on a slow surface.
Sock's big forehand makes him formidable on clay, although few expected the 22-year-old to make a major impact at Roland Garros this year after he had lost in the first round of his final two clay-court tuneup events. Being inactive for three months this past winter following pelvic surgery seemed to put him behind.
2015 French Open Expectations
Sock performed so well that Americans may think they have a future French Open champion on their hands. He made his presence known immediately by upsetting No. 10-seeded Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets in the first round. Sock struggled a bit with Pablo Carreno Busta in the second round but blasted 68 winners to win in four sets.
Sock then played his best match of the tournament by brushing aside promising teenager Borna Coric 6–2, 6–1, 6–4.
Sock had one impressive run in his fourth-round match against nine-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal. Sock roared back from a 5-3 deficit to take the third set before bowing out 6-3, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2. His ranking will rise several spots as a result, and he might be seeded at the U.S. Open. Although he only got to the round of 16 at Roland Garros, Sock exceeded expectations and brightened America's hopes for the future, both of which had an effect on his final grade.
Final Grade: B+
Ana Ivanovic
11 of 18
2015 French Open Expectations
Ana Ivanovic is not the factor at Grand Slam events that she was seven years ago, when she was ranked No. 1 after winning the 2008 French Open. Furthermore, she had lost her opening match in two of her three clay-court events leading up to the French Open, and there was nothing to suggest she was on a roll.
But she entered the French Open ranked No. 7 in the world, and her talent and experience make her a threat to go deep into any Grand Slam tournament, especially the French Open, where she was twice a finalist.
2015 French Open Performance
Ivanovic reached the semifinals of a Grand Slam event for the first time since she won her lone major title in 2008 at Roland Garros. She did not have to beat anyone ranked higher than her to reach the final four, which made her task a bit easier.
She did not start out like she would do well, having to go three sets in her first two matches. She got better as the tournament wore on, and her fourth-round victory over Ekaterina Makarova was particularly impressive. Makarova is a rising player who had reached the semifinals of the past two majors, the 2014 U.S. Open and the 2015 Australian Open. Ivanovic was able to cope with windy weather and interruptions because of rain to pull out a 7-5, 3-6, 6-1 victory.
"Amazing really. To be honest, coming in to the tournament I didn't expect it at all," Ivanovic said of her berth in the quarterfinals, per The Associated Press report on FoxSports.com.
Ivanovic then beat Elina Svitolina in straight sets before losing to 13th-seeded Lucie Safarova 7-5, 7-5 in the semifinals.
Final Grade: B+
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
12 of 18
2015 French Open Expectations
It was difficult to predict what Jo-Wilfried Tsonga would do at the French Open. He had played only five tournaments in 2015 after sitting out three months because of a forearm injury, and he had failed to reach the quarterfinals in any of them. His ranking had dropped to No. 15 after being as high as No. 5 three years earlier.
However, Tsonga plays his best tennis at Roland Garros, where the support of the French fans buoys him. In 2012, he reached the quarterfinals before losing to No. 1 Novak Djokovic in five sets. He beat Roger Federer the next year while getting to the semifinals, and he lost to Djokovic again last year, falling in the fourth round. The draw was favorable for him this year, with Djokovic and Rafael Nadal both in the other half of the bracket. A berth in the finals seemed possible.
2015 French Open Performance
The emotional Tsonga again raised his game at Roland Garros, getting by his first three opponents in straight sets. He then eliminated No. 4-seeded Tomas Berdych in four sets and outlasted No. 5-seeded Kei Nishikori in five.
With Stan Wawrinka waiting in the semifinals, Tsonga had to like his chances of becoming the first French man since 1988 (Henri Leconte) to reach the French Open finals. But he failed to take advantage of his opportunities and lost to Wawrinka in four sets. The bottom line, though, is that the No. 14-seeded Tsonga got to the semifinals of a Grand Slam event for the sixth time and nearly matched his best effort: a berth in 2008 Australian Open finals.
Final Grade: B+
Andy Murray
13 of 18
2015 French Open Expectations
You can count on Andy Murray performing well in majors, and he looked like the biggest threat to Novak Djokovic coming into the 2015 French Open. Murray had reached at least the quarterfinals in each of the last 16 Grand Slam tournaments he played and was a finalist at the Australian Open this year.
More significant was the fact that he was playing outstanding clay-court tennis. He won the last two clay-court events he completed before the French Open, beating Milos Raonic, Kei Nishikori and Rafael Nadal, all in straight sets, in the process. He defaulted in the second round of the Italian Open, claiming fatigue. Murray was going to be difficult to beat at Roland Garros, where he was a semifinalist last year.
2015 French Open Performance
Murray had the best French Open performance of his career, even though he failed to reach the finals. His berth in the semifinals matched his best runs at Roland Garros, achieved previously in 2011 and 2014. What made this performance better was that he pushed No. 1-ranked Novak Djokovic to the limit in the semifinals after Djokovic had been blowing away everyone in sight.
Murray beat Nick Kyrgios and David Ferrer on his way to the semifinals and then nearly pulled off a significant comeback against Djokovic. Down two sets to love, Murray won the third set and also took the fourth set the next day after the match had been halted by darkness.
Djokovic, who had not dropped a set in the tournament until he faced Murray, took control early in the fifth set to come away with a 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 5-7, 6-1 victory. The close loss to Djokovic ended Murray's 15-match winning streak on clay but in the process erased doubts about whether Murray is capable of winning the French Open.
Final Grade: B+
Timea Bacsinszky
14 of 18
2015 French Open Expectations
Timea Bacsinszky had come a long way in the past two years, but there was little reason to expect her to make an impact at Roland Garros. She had failed to win a match in the main draw the previous two years at the French Open, and she had never gone past the third round in any of her 20 appearances at Grand Slam events.
The 25-year-old suffered a serious foot injury in 2011 that necessitated a long layoff and knocked her ranking down to No. 285 at the end of 2013. She rose to No. 21 in April and was situated at No. 24 when the French Open arrived. She had only moderate success in the clay-court tournaments before the French Open, offering no hint that she would be a major factor at Roland Garros.
2015 French Open Performance
Bacsinszky had the tournament of her life. Not only did she reach the semifinals of a major for the first time, but she beat two top-20 players and gave Serena Williams a scare.
She blew by her first two opponents and then gained attention with a 6-4, 6-2, third-round victory over 16th-seeded Madison Keys, an improving player who had reached the semifinals of the Australian Open earlier in the year. Bacsinszky then ousted No. 4-ranked Petra Kvitova by taking the final two sets in convincing fashion in a 2-6, 6-0, 6-3 victory.
After getting past Alison Van Uytvanck in the quarterfinals, Bacsinszky put herself in position to pull off a shocker against Williams in the semifinals. Bacsinszky won the first set and was up a break in the second set, leading 3-2. Williams took command at that point, winning 10 straight games, but Bacsinszky made a name for herself. Whether this was just a fluke or an indication of things to come remains to be seen.
Final Grade: A-
Novak Djokovic
15 of 18
2015 French Open Expectations
Even though the French Open is the only Grand Slam singles title Novak Djokovic had not won, he was the clear favorite at Roland Garros in 2015. He had won the 2015 Australian Open and had not lost a tournament match since February. He was unbeaten on clay in 2015, winning both of his clay-court tuneup events and beating six top-10 players in the process.
Just as significant was the fact that Djokovic's nemesis, Rafael Nadal, was not in top form. The nine-time French Open champ had knocked Djokovic out of the French Open each of the past three years, including twice in the finals. But Nadal's ranking had slipped to No. 7, and Djokovic had handled Nadal rather easily 6-3, 6-3 on clay in April in their only 2015 meeting.
Djokovic entered the French Open ranked No. 1 by a wide margin, and his ninth Grand Slam singles title was there for the taking.
2015 French Open Performance
Getting to the men's finals of the 2015 French Open would be considered a success by every player except one, Djokovic.
The Serbian standout played consistently strong tennis throughout the tournament and even eliminated his nemesis, Nadal. However, a greater nemesis now may be Stan Wawrinka, who ruined Djokovic's bid for his first French Open title by beating him in four sets in the finals.
Djokovic dominated his first five opponents without the loss of a set, and that including a convincing victory over Nadal. Djokovic showed his resolve in his five-set, semifinals victory over Andy Murray, notching his 28th consecutive match victory heading into the finals.
Djokovic and Wawrinka have had some classic matches in major events, with their last four meetings in Grand Slam events going five sets. This time, Djokovic seemed to be taking control on several occasions, but he ultimately could not adequately counter Wawrinka's huge groundstrokes in a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 loss. It ended Djokovic's winning streak and prevented him from becoming the eighth man to win all four Grand Slam titles in his career.
Final Grade: A-
Lucie Safarova
16 of 18
2015 French Open Expectations
Lucie Safarova has had her moments, and she was a threat against anyone at the French Open. Whether she could play her best tennis throughout two weeks at a major was a question, however.
She reached the semifinals of Wimbledon last year after getting to the fourth round of the French Open. But she did not do much in her tuneup tournaments for this year's French Open, beating no one ranked in the top 40 in her four clay-court events before the French Open. She was seeded No. 13 at the French Open but was considered an outsider based on her recent results.
2015 French Open Performance
Safarova played consistently well throughout the tournament and had the best performance of her career. She beat four seeded players, including No. 2 Maria Sharapova, to reach the finals of a Grand Slam event for the first time. She even took a set from Serena Williams in the finals.
Safarova eliminated 20th-seeded Sabine Lisicki, 21st-seeded Garbine Muguruza and No. 7-seeded Ana Ivanovic, a former French Open champ, as well as defending champ Sharapova, all in straight sets.
Safarova was more dominant through the first six rounds than Williams was, and she held her own in the finals, taking the second set before losing to Williams 6-3, 6-7, 6-2.
"I think she's really picked up her level," Sharapova said after their match, according to ESPNW.com. "I think she's much more consistent off of both wings."
Final Grade: A
Stan Wawrinka
17 of 18
2015 French Open Expectations
Stan Wawrinka has steadily improved his play in Grand Slam tournaments, reaching at least the quarterfinals in five of his last six majors entering the 2015 French Open. However, his play had been spotty since reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open and winning an event in Rotterdam in February.
His game should be effective on clay, but he had never gone past the quarterfinals at Roland Garros and lost in the first round last year to 41st-ranked Guillermo Garcia Lopez.
Ranked No. 3 at this time a year ago, Wawrinka had slipped to No. 9 heading into this year's French Open. He had lost to 74th-ranked Federico Delbonis on clay the week before the French Open, which made it seem unlikely that he would be a contender in Paris.
2015 French Open Performance
Wawrinka surprised us again, winning his second major title and doing it in spectacular fashion. He beat four seeded players, including the Nos. 1 and 2 players in the world, to claim his first French Open crown.
He had lost 16 of his 18 career matches against No. 2 Roger Federer, who had beaten Wawrinka 6-4, 6-2 on clay in Italy earlier this summer. But he dominated Federer in the French Open quarterfinals, winning in straight sets. Wawrinka then took out No. 14-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in four sets despite the emotional support Tsonga received from the French crowd.
Wawrinka's best effort came in the finals against Djokovic, who has been nearly unbeatable this year and carried a 28-match winning streak into the title match. Every time Djokovic seemed to be taking control of the match, Wawrinka responded with outstanding shot-making.
Djokovic won the first set, but Wawrinka came back to take the next two. Djokovic jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the fourth set, but Wawrinka broke back to tie the set 3-3.
Djokovic hit the volley of his life to hold serve for 4-3 and held a 0-40 lead on Wawrinka's serve in the eighth game. But the Swiss hit five outstanding shots to hold and tie the fourth set 4-4. Wawrinka broke serve to take a 5-4 lead and hit what first appeared to be a title-winning ace at 40-30 in the next game. The ball was called out, and Djokovic won the next two points and had a break point. One final time Wawrinka rallied, finishing the match on an exquisite backhand for a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 victory.
Djokovic had won 17 of their 20 previous matches, but they have played some riveting tennis in majors. Their last four meetings in Grand Slam events had gone five sets, with Djokovic winning three of them. Wawrinka may be the only player capable of holding his own against Djokovic these days.
Final Grade: A
Serena Williams
18 of 18
2015 French Open Expectations
Serena Williams was the clear favorite to win the 2015 French Open, but there is always a chance for early-round disaster when she plays at Roland Garros. Although she has won the French title twice, including as recently as 2013, she lost in the first round in 2012 and in the second round last year.
More persuasive in handicapping Williams' chances in Paris was the fact that she had won the past two Grand Slam events and was ranked No. 1 by a wide margin. She did not reach the finals of either of her clay-court tournaments before the French Open, although she withdrew from one because of an elbow injury.
She was also chasing history, needing one more major title to reach 20 while keeping alive her chances of completing a single-year Grand Slam.
2015 French Open Performance
Williams won the French Open for the third time, although determining her grade for her performance is a difficult task.
She had to play three sets in five of her seven matches and did not have to face a single player ranked in the top 10. Should her grade be knocked down a few notches because she was not as dominant as she had been in past majors, or should her grade be boosted because she demonstrated the mental toughness to get out of challenging situations time and time again despite fighting flu-like symptoms?
We also need to consider the historical achievements. Williams has now won 20 Grand Slam singles titles, leaving her second in the Open Era to Steffi Graf's 22 and just four behind Margaret Court's all-time record of 24.
Williams is also halfway to sweeping all four majors in the same calendar year, something only two men (Rod Laver and Don Budge) and three women (Maureen Connolly, Court and Graf) have accomplished.
Finally, at the age of 33 years, 253 days, Williams is the second-oldest woman to win a Grand Slam singles title. She was just nine days younger than Martina Navratilova was when she won the 1990 Wimbledon title. And there is every reason to believe Williams will break Navratilova's age mark as she continues to dominate women's tennis.
Arriving at a final grade becomes easier when taking all that into account.
Final Grade: A+
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