Is there anything more exciting than a second week of Roland Garros just beginning? And yes, especially when the forfeit of the absolute scarecrow Rafael Nadal allows a lot of players to dream of the Coupe des Mousquetaires. OK, we see you coming the jaded: "No, but still, every year it's the biggest sporting event organized in France, and we never have a single Frenchman in the knockout stages". So it's not wrong, but this time, we found something to soften your nostalgia for 1983. And yes, we have prepared a list of six players still in contention in the final draw who have a visceral link with the France (or we oversell a little there, sorry). Pick yourself favorites in there to get excited for good over the next eight days, it's 20 Minutes that delights.

Holger Rune

Yes, the fiery Danish blondine has been training since the age of 13 on the grounds of the famous Muratoglou Academy in Biot (Alpes-Maritimes). Close to the emblematic French coach Patrick Muratoglou, since all this time, also via his foundation Champ'seed, Holger Rune clearly has a link on the Côte d'Azur. He is also a resident of Monaco (oh it's okay, it counts for the France when it suits us) and his agent Philippe Weiss is French.

And while he was at it, his first big conquests on the courts were (on clay obviously) at the junior tournament in Beaulieu-sur-Mer, then on the Junior France International in Roland at 16 years old. It's starting to make a lot of arguments for the puncher of Gentofte. Cap back, real (big) mouth of the circuit, the young man has what is more this panache that makes kiff.


Elina Svitolina

There, there is probably no need to detail an obvious link with the France. The 28-year-old Ukrainian has been the partner of Gaël Monfils for five years, with whom she had a little girl, Skaï, born 7 months ago. The Monfils-Svitolina couple regaled us at the beginning of the tournament, talking about their new life as parents, supporting each other in their matches, and sharing victories after having been back to the wall throughout the first set. When we love the combativeness of "la Monf", we can only appreciate that of Elina Svitolina, whose qualification in the eighth is also a sacred performance, so soon after childbirth.

Francisco Cerundolo

Here is a tennis player friend of the French institution. The whole tennis France is thrilled to see Arthur Fils (18) tumble in his first ATP tournament final in Lyon on May 27. We can then count on the Argentinian to allow the great hope of the Paris region to write a little more history by lifting his first title at the Open Parc (6-3, 7-5). Seven days later, the public of the Suzanne-Lenglen is on a mission. In his viewfinder is Taylor Fritz, who fell in the previous round of the last Frenchman still in the running, Arthur Rinderknech, in a supercharged atmosphere, between chambering and contempt. When the players arrived on the court on Saturday, the Lenglen recidivated by booing the American. Francisco Cerundolo heard their message and signed the surprise of the day against the number 9 seed of the tournament. Hit the road Taylor!


Ons Jabeur

The endearing 28-year-old player has strong messages to convey on the women's circuit, as she proved again Saturday by taking a position on the sensitive issue of a gender distribution for the night sessions of Roland-Garros. Before coming to train for part of her adolescence in France, the Tunisian (French-speaking) won the junior tournament of Roland-Garros in 2011 in the major category. A first for a Tunisian athlete. No. 7 seed at Roland, Ons Jabeur can have a big shot to play.

Stefanos Tsitsipas

Here too, Patrick Muratoglou is obviously closer to the emergence of Stefanos Tsitsipas, who joined his academy on the Côte d'Azur in 2015. But the real point that has also linked him to the France for even longer is very unusual. After growing up in a family of footballers, the young Greek decides to opt for the little yellow ball for good... in Normandy!

"When I won an under-8 tournament in Normandy, I understood that individual sports fit my personality more than team sports. After that tournament, I told my dad that I was going to opt out of football. Well he took it. Normandy, a formidable talent launcher revered as far as Greece.

Carlos Alcaraz

It was the masterpiece that almost triggered our article idea. We received Thursday a strange email mentioning in the subject of French origins for Carlos Alcaraz. What what, if the world number one and favorite of this edition of Roland-Garros lifts the trophy next Sunday, it would be a bit our victory (we do not exaggerate at all)? Suffice to say that we immersed ourselves in this email mentioning the My Heritage site, which allows you to create your family tree online. Drum roll and verdict: "My Heritage has found and can confirm that Carlos Alcaraz's maternal grandmother is related to his great-grandparents, Jean-Nicolas Egler and Marie Eugénie Jeannenot, who married in 1858 in Baume-les-Dames, in the Doubs (Bourgogne-Franche-Comté)".


Their CV even went through it: "Jean-Nicolas Egler was a railway worker and his parents were weavers". We spare you the passage on the effects of the war lost against Prussia in his choice of nationality, but know that Jean-Nicolas Egler had gone to live in Malaga (Andalusia). And yes, it turned destiny upside down/led to the loss of French tennis in the very long term. We do not congratulate you Charles Alcaraze, even if this connection to the Doubs necessarily makes us the nice guy. Like what, you sometimes have to open your most chealous emails.

  • Roland-Garros 2023
  • Tennis
  • Sport
  • Carlos Alcaraz
  • Ile
  • Stefanos Tsitsipas
  • Holger Rune