French Open is known for its tradition and history, but another factor that makes this Grand Slam iconic are the French fans. The Parisians don’t seem afraid to voice their displeasure at perceived opponents, which often results in a hostile atmosphere at the Philippe-Chatrier court.
The French Open is the only Grand Slam that has stayed away from the ‘hawk-eye’ technology and still trusts the line umpires. While the official calls are usually spot-on, they do get them wrong once in a while, which is a major cause of agitation in the crowd.
Over the years, many Roland-Garros matches have proved to be an unwelcoming encounter for several players, including 14-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal. Here is a list of five instances when players experienced the hostile nature of the French crowd at Roland-Garros.
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#5. Nicolas Jarry faces a hostile crowd at Roland-Garros 2024
It all started at the Chile Open in Santiago when Nicolas Jarry faced off against Corentin Moutet. Moutet was 'abused' and booed by the crowd who were backing their Chilean star. Despite a hostile crowd, Moutet ended up winning the match in straight sets, 7-6 (0) 7-6 (0) to advance to the semifinal.
Moutet and Jarry were drawn to face each other once again in the first round of the 2024 French Open. In a fiery interview before their match, Moutet's coach, Petar Popovic, asked the French crowd to back their home player and give 'hell' to his opponent Nicolas Jarry.
The Chilean faced a hostile atmosphere where he was booed and targeted with abuse. Moutet eventually won 6-2 6-1 3-6 6-0 to make it to the next round.
#4. Taylor Fritz 'shushes' the French crowd
Taylor Fritz faced France's Arthur Rinderknech in the second round of the French Open in 2023. The American managed a thrilling 2-6 6-4 6-3 6-4 win against the Frenchman, much to the displeasure of the crowd.
The Parisian crowd went overboard while supporting Rinderknech and constantly booed and whistled at Fritz. The then World No. 9 replied by shushing the crowd, then spreading his arms out wide and screaming, “Come on! I want to hear it!”
The crowd continued booing Fritz during the on-court interview, which was delayed due to the hostile atmosphere. The American sarcastically thanked the crowd for their support and put a finger to his lips again to 'shush' the crowd, which in turn saw further booing from the crowd.
#3. Serena Williams breaks down in tears at the French Open
Serena Williams and Justine Henin were involved in a controversial French Open semifinal in 2003. Henin won the match 6-2 4-6 7-5, but it was the hostility of the crowd that took center stage.
Williams was constantly booed due to an incident in the deciding set which triggered the crowd's ire. The American was leading the third set 4-2 when Henin's forehand winner was judged to be out by the chair umpire. The crowd were not happy with the decision and let their opinions be heard.
The hostility of the French crowd kept on increasing as they cheered Williams' faults and double faults, even applauding when she made an unforced error. The tension boiled over and Williams was in tears during her post-match interview. Justine Henin went on the win the title by defeating Kim Clijsters in straight sets.
#2. Novak Djokovic faces the French Open hostility playing against Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic faced each other in the quarterfinals of Roland-Garros 2022. The two rivals engaged in a thrilling match which the Spaniard won 6-2 4-6 6-2 7-6(4) to the delight of French faithfuls.
A packed Philippe-Chatrier court rooted for Nadal as Djokovic faced the wrath of the crowd. The Serbian was booed as he entered the stadium and was constantly whistled at throughout the match. Djokovic was affected by the hostile crowd and broke his racquet in frustration, resulting in even more whistling from the crowd.
The Serbian was eventually knocked out at the quarterfinal stage and his exit was met by loud cheers from the crowd.
#1. Rafael Nadal booed at the French Open
Rafael Nadal is the most loved player in Paris now, but that was not the case during his tournament debut in 2005. The Spaniard faced the wrath of an aggressive French crowd while facing the Frenchman Sebastien Grosjean.
After winning the first set 6-4, Nadal was well on top against his French opponent. However, the crowd turned against the Spaniard when a line call went in his favor in the second set. The constant jeers and whistles made it impossible for the Spaniard to serve and the game was delayed by a few minutes.
The boos and whistles seemed to have impacted the Spaniard as he lost the second set 6-3. However, he regained his composure soon to win the match 6-4 3-6 6-0 6-3 en route to his maiden Grand Slam win.
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