The moment Novak Djokovic accepted that being part of the Roger Federer/Rafael Nadal era was a chance, not a curse, everything improved for him.
The world No 1 is certainly buoyed by the prospect of emulating his achievement of holding all four majors but knows that nothing less than perfection will be required.
Photos from the French Open matches played at the Roland Garros on Thursday
Wimbledon women's champion Garbine Muguruza says she will savour her victory in order to prevent a similar slump in form to the one she suffered after winning the French Open in 2016.
Holder Serena Williams survived her toughest challenge yet at this year's French Open as she battled into the fourth round with a 6-4, 7-6(10) win over Frenchwoman Kristina Mladenovic in a rain-disrupted match on Saturday.
The US Open kicks off on August 31 and will be held in its usual home in Flushing Meadows, Queens, but will be played without fans in attendance to limit the spread of the virus.
It will be the second time Nadal and Del Potro meet at Roland Garros. The previous match up saw the Spaniard beat Del Potro in straight sets in the opening round in 2007.
So while Halep went about dominating Serena, here are some famous people who got a ringside view of the action
For the fourth time in his career, the eighth-seeded Japanese has dropped one set or less en route to the quarter-finals of a major championship.
Rafael Nadal returned to Roland Garros after his birthday celebrations and showed no signs of slowing up, railroading compatriot Roberto Bautista Agut 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 in the fourth round on Sunday.
Serena Williams has not won a set in any of the four Grand Slam finals she has reached since returning from maternity leave in September 2017.
Here are eight men to watch on the Roland Garros clay.
The twice Wimbledon champion, a semi-finalist at Roland Garros in 2012, looked poised and focused, treating the sparse Court Philippe Chatrier crowd to a few exquisite drop shots and lightning-quick forehands.
Images from Day 4 of the French Open, at Roland Garros, in Paris.
Kvitova to decide on participation on Friday
Images from Day 9 of the 2020 French Open at Roland Garros, in Paris, on Monday.
The two men's quarter-final matches due to be played at the French Open in Paris on Tuesday have been postponed until Wednesday after rain disrupted play at Roland Garros.
It's on! Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are set to clash in the French Open quarterfinal on Wednesday.
The Russian can qualify for the main draw at Wimbledon by reaching the semi-final of either the Madrid or Rome tournaments.
Rafael Nadal clinched a record-extending 11th Monte Carlo title as he geared up for his French Open campaign with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Japan's Kei Nishikori in the final on Sunday.
Factbox on Spaniard Rafael Nadal, who beat Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 to win his 10th French Open title on Sunday.
The 20-year-old, looking to become the first unseeded woman to lift the Suzanne Lenglen Cup since 1933, blazed her way to the final, hitting winners and errors with reckless abandon.
Only one player has beaten Rafael Nadal on his beloved claycourts this year and that man, Austria's Dominic Thiem, blocks the Spaniard's path to the French Open final.
Rafael Nadal's decision to skip the US Open because of health concerns has added another twist to the intriguing three-way battle for the most career men's Grand Slam titles and, in many eyes, the title of Greatest Of All Time (GOAT). Had the 34-year-old Spaniard managed to retain the title he won in a five-set thriller against Daniil Medvedev last year, he would have joined Roger Federer at the top of the list with 20 titles. Instead, his decision has cleared the path for 33-year-old Novak Djokovic to edge to within one of Nadal's Grand Slam tally with a fourth title at Flushing Meadows and 18 in total.
Japan's Kei Nishikori, who will arrive at Roland Garros without an ATP title for more than two years and desperate to prove that his career has not already peaked.
'Right now I think that I have to find to myself again and just trying to forget the clay court season as soon as possible'
Australian maverick Nick Kyrgios withdrew from the French Open on Friday, according to tournament officials, robbing the Grand Slam event of some guaranteed fireworks.
Tennis fans expressed frustration that the players weren't getting better crowds.
Timea Bacsinszky and Jelena Ostapenko will celebrate birthdays on Thursday, but one will be left crying into her cake as they face off in the French Open semi-finals.
IMAGES from matches played on Day 4 of the French Open at Roland Garros on Wednesday
Images from Day 3 of the French Open in Paris on Tuesday
Women's tour needed to change its rules for players that take maternity leave.
'Now, it's about maintaining for if and when we get an opportunity to play again this year, you can kinda flick that switch and go from there.'
The 27-year-old Romanian beat Sloane Stephens at Roland Garros to win her maiden Grand Slam title in June and will have spent 40 weeks at the top of the rankings by the end of the season.
Australian Kyrgios was beaten in his first match in Lyon on Tuesday by Argentina's 94th-ranked Nicolas Kicker -- serving nine double faults during a 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 defeat.
Roger Federer netted a record-equalling 233rd Grand Slam victory when he beat German Tobias Kamke 6-2, 7-5, 6-3 in the first round of the French Open on Monday.
Garbine Muguruza's chances of winning her maiden grand slam title -- and achieving the rare feat of beating Serena Williams twice in three years at Roland Garros -- may well depend on which version of the world number one turns up on Sunday.
'Irresponsible' Djokovic panned for Adria Tour misadventure.
Penpix of the top men's contenders at the 2017 French Open:
Penpix of the top men's contenders at the 2021 Australian Open
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