Tennis tournaments might have shifted from Wimbledon to the Paris Olympics, but the situation has not! Imagine gearing up for one of the most iconic matches of your career, only to find yourself playing a waiting game with the weather. Frustrating, right? That’s exactly the scenario unfolding at the Paris Olympics in Roland Garros. Several tennis stars like Coco Gauff and Danielle Collins, are anxiously waiting for the rain gods to show some mercy so they can finally step onto the clay and showcase their skills.

Rain has taken centre stage at Roland Garros. Tennis matches, on all the ten uncovered courts at the venue, will be halted at least till 3.00 PM local time, per the website of the Paris Olympics. Among the several players to have been impacted by this is the American tennis star Taylor Fritz. Fritz was scheduled to take over Kazhakasthan’s Alexander Bublik on Court 14. The destiny for WTA stars is no different!

Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula are also among the victims facing the wrath of the rain gods. Pegula and Gauff were all set to take over Perez Ellen and Saville Daria of Australia on the same court as Fritz. But even they will have to wait longer. For Coco Gauff, this wait can be more frustrating. The tennis star missed her Tokyo Olympic campaign due to a Covid-19 diagnosis and now, rain is further making her wait ahead of her first-ever Olympic game! The situation is no different for Danimal Collins

Danimal is playing the last Olympic games of her career. But even her last campaign is not free from troubles. Collins, who was supposed to play against Laura Siegemond of Germany on Court 7, will be waiting for her first clash of the tournament. However, the tennis star, who would be anticipating to keep her head-to-head tally lead intact against her opponent, would surely be troubled and frustrated. Another star player to face the same challenge is Emma Navarro.

Emma Navarro was to play against her Austrian counterpart Julia Grabher on court 8. Fresh off her sensational Wimbledon campaign, where she gave her best performance so far, Navarro must have been dying to demonstrate her skills. But the unfortunate showers will make her fans and tennis enthusiasts wait longer to see her performance on the courts! But, what remains to be seen is whether such conditions will draw flak once again from tennis players like the French Open.

When tennis players were disappointed due to rain delays and organizers’ decision at Roland Garros

Roland Garros, rain delays, and controversies are all interlinked and have an old history. And with the rain gods playing a spoilsport again, the players are once again expected to face troubles which can lead to more controversies.

In the recently concluded French Open, the players complained that the organizers did not give them enough rest and they were forced to play straining their physique due to the rain delays. In early editions of the tournament that had rain delays, players complained of bias from the organizers.

In the 2019 edition of French Open, when Novak Djokovic’s semifinal hopes were blown out by thunderstorms and stormy weather, the Serb was seen furious. “One of the worst conditions I have ever been part of,” he said after losing to Dominic Thiem. Several other players like Tomas Berdych also complained that the match was stopped right before he was about to win despite the light rains. This led to huge chaos as it hinted towards the partial act from the organizers.

As the Olympic games unfold, it will be interesting to see if more games are marred by rain delays and if more such controversies take centre stage.