2020 French Open: What to Watch on Monday

At the United States Open this year, she seemed to leave every ounce of her energy on the court. Williams’s frustrations and ecstasies during her matches were broadcast as if to inform viewers that winning is not a straightforward process but a struggle that even one of the sport’s greats must grapple with every day. Now, she’ll face a familiar challenge on her path to victory in Kristie Ahn, a fellow American.

Ahn and Williams faced each other in the first round of the U.S. Open as well, a bad break for Ahn. She reached the fourth round of the U.S. Open as a wild card in 2019 and seems perpetually on the brink of a breakthrough. With Williams once again in front of her, it seems unlikely that this year’s French Open will be her stage for that.

Gaël Monfils, the eighth seed, is unparalleled in his ability to entertain. An extremely athletic player, his pace allows him to sustain long points, and his use of circus shots is unique not just in variety but in frequency. Underlying the showmanship is a player who, on his best day, is capable of standing toe to toe with the world’s best. Although a regular in the second week of Grand Slam events, he has lost two matches in the lead-up to Roland Garros, and he will need to get up to speed quickly if he’s going to have a good result.

Alexander Bublik, ranked 56th in the world, is best known for his serving ability. Many opponents tend to step back from the baseline to give themselves time to return it. But in a simple yet unorthodox counter, Bublik has taken up hitting low underarm serves sporadically, not only forcing his opponents to deal with an unusual ball, but making them shift their overall return positioning to be more to his liking. This strategy has drawn some ire from opponents, but there is nothing illegal or unsporting about it, and in a clay-court era defined by players like Nadal and Thiem, who both stand well behind the baseline, it may help rewrite the playbook.

At the U.S. Open, Thiem became the latest player to win a first major title as he outlasted Alexander Zverev in five sets. Before that, it was Marin Cilic, the winner of the U.S. Open in 2014, who was the latest first-time major champion.