French Open 2016: What Roland-Garros Results Mean for Tournament's Biggest Stars
Novak Djokovic clinched the first French Open crown of his glistening career on Sunday after defeating Andy Murray 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 to complete his Grand Slam set in sensational fashion.
Murray couldn't sustain his early challenge for an upset at Roland-Garros, and the Scot ultimately fell out of contention as Djokovic proceeded to etch his name further into the tennis history books.
Where Murray failed, Garbine Muguruza succeeded in upsetting Serena Williams just a day earlier and triumphed 7-5, 6-4 over the defending champion to earn her first Grand Slam crown.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
The French Open is in the rearview mirror, with less than a month to wait until Wimbledon kicks off on June 27, and we look forward to what awaits the stars of Roland-Garros in the near future.
Novak Djokovic
It may have looked uncertain for a period in Paris, but Djokovic ultimately did what he so often does and collected his form at the opportune moment to emerge a non-calendar Grand Slam champion on Sunday.
After American Don Budge and Australian legend Rod Laver, the Serb became the first man in almost half a century to claim all four Grand Slam titles in succession, per Live Tennis:
"#Djokovic's parents on court to congratulate their son, the 1st man since 1969 to win four Slams in a row. pic.twitter.com/LYtkUc9gej
— Live Tennis (@livetennis) June 5, 2016"
At just 29 years of age and enjoying the form of his life, Djokovic still has plenty left in the tank too, and tennis writer Simon Cambers detailed where he stands in the majors stakes alongside his peers:
Having won the last two Wimbledon titles at SW19, there's no reason to believe Djokovic can't claim his hat-trick at the tournament's conclusion next month either, especially with the fitness of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in some doubt.
No player has won three or more Wimbledon trophies in succession since Federer claimed five on the trot between 2003 and 2007, but Djokovic is well on his way to forming a streak of his own as he seeks a calendar Grand Slam.
Andy Murray
As disappointing as it may be, Sunday's defeat was a familiar script for Murray, who fell by the wayside in a manner that can once again only be described as close but oh so far.
It came under crushing circumstances too, as the victorious first set undoubtedly lit a fire of belief in his belly that he could topple the giant:
Coming to Wimbledon later this month, it's sure to be a familiar storyline too. The Scot has made it to both major finals this year and lost out to Djokovic on both occasions—why would SW19 be any different?
Of course, champions are there to toppled and odds defied, but Murray heads back to a British setting this month facing the prospect of only losing out once more to a unique tennis talent.
For all the improvement Murray has shown on clay this year, his one saving grace may be that grass is a more familiar environment, although that hasn't helped him make it to even the final in the last two Wimbledon tournaments.
Garbine Muguruza
The greatest shock at Roland-Garros this year was undoubtedly the sight of Muguruza holding aloft her first Grand Slam title at just 22 years of age, standing over the figure of a defeated Williams, injured or not.
And not only was this the Spaniard's first major final, but it was her first final playing on clay, per BBC Sport, despite that surface typically being a more natural home to players from her part of the world:
Perhaps the greatest lesson to take from Muguruza's triumph is that a brigade of new blood is milling its way through the women's game, as illustrated by USA Today's Nick McCarvel:
With Williams seemingly ebbing toward her twilight, this year's French Open showed there's room for more star players, and Muguruza may look to Wimbledon as her chance to establish an even greater reputation.
Ironically enough, it was the American who ended Muguruza's charge at SW19 one year ago, but the youngster can go a long way to making up for that failure and more in 2016.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
