French Open 2024: Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner Privilege Forces Ben Shelton to Reveal Ranking Regret

Why should top seeds have all the fun? French Open proceedings took a huge hit as rain disrupted play on all the outside courts on Wednesday (May 29). Almost 23 singles matches were reportedly rescheduled for the next day. Even Ben Shelton‘s match against the former world number 4, Kei Nishikori was stopped midway. Only matches scheduled on the two courts with retractable roofs were able to continue uninterrupted. ‘Big Ben’ wishes he had a ‘Big Roof’ above his head!

Top-seeded players like Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner don’t have to wait since they play on the main courts. But players like Ben Shelton have to wait hours upon hours to get the match started. Even on the next day, Shelton’s match started a bit late and got interrupted by rain before, eventually, Nishikori retired after two sets due to a sore right shoulder.

“It’s not easy,” Shelton said in a post-match conference. “You kind of wish you were one of the top seeds playing on Lenglen or Chatrier and you didn’t have to worry about rain delays or when you’re playing, because things are moving smoothly when you have a roof.“

Ben Shelton further went on to add, “Getting the engine started over and over, and getting cold and then warm again and then cold — it takes a big toll.“ But there is one solution for the American to stay away from all this inconvenience! Shelton (15) will probably now have to climb up the ladder and reach the heights of Djokovic (1) and Sinner (2) to see a roof above his head in Paris.

No one wants rain to play spoilsport in this iconic tournament. Even the tournament organizers recently stated they have been doing their best for both players and spectators who visit the stadium to watch the matches.

Amelie Mauresmo (Tournament Director) recently addressed the issue of scheduling ethics during a press conference. She said, “We can’t be fair to everyone. But we do what we can, while also keeping to a certain limit in terms of timetables.” Mauresmo further went on to add that they always try to take everything into account and do their best so that the players can go home. On Friday, the matches started at 10 am to catch up on the lost time during the rain delays. And no one likes them.

The match postponement issue weighs heavy on many

Rain, Rain Go Away! Well, this has been the cry for almost all ‘non-top seeded‘ players in Paris at the moment. Canadian tennis star, Leylah Fernandez spoke about how difficult it is for the players to stop and start with the same intensity during those rail delays. She said, “It is hard, more mentally than physically. You don’t know when you can mentally relax a little bit. You kind of have to be switched on all the time.” 

She further went on to add, “Even when your coaches tell you can take a nap — ‘Close your eyes; we’ll be on top of things’ — for me, it’s like, ‘No, I can’t fully switch off.’ I need to be ready for whatever happens.“

Peyton Stearns said that one doesn’t know what to expect in these moments. She thinks this is something that they have to accept, no matter how much they dislike it! Alex de Minaur said it’s probably “one of the worst parts of our sport.” Madison Keys believes these moments build an extra layer of stress within the players. Share what are your thoughts on these. Do you think every court should have a retractable roof?