On Wednesday, the fans in Paris were also able to get an idea of some of the legends of the sport. Mats Wilander, Martina Navratilova or John McEnroe were in action.
The early games in the second week of a Grand Slam tournament often belong to the juniors. Or the vets. Both age groups are basically treated the same as the still active players, simply going out on the court and hitting balls does not work. So the training schedule is: 08:30, Mats Wilander and Mikael Pernfors.
Wilander has succeeded three times in Paris, Pernfors in 1986 surprisingly, but with an outstanding hairstyle reached the final. And there against Ivan Lendl quite narrowly lost. Wilander presents himself physically in top form, and it can’t be ruled out that he could win a tough five-set match against the current best Swede (who is he?). Pernfors not so much, but he doesn’t have to, the man who made the Mohawk cut respectable on the ATP tour turns 55 in July.
Wilander and Pernfors play on Court 1 Mansour Bahrami and Fabrice Santoro, of great seriousness is not to be assumed. This was already the case with the Iranian in his really active time, older sports fans will remember that Bahrami has lived mainly from getting his opponents (often also his double partner) by small or larger gimmicks from the concept.
Meanwhile there is no hokum to marvel at on court 18. Nathalie Tauziat, Kim Clijsters, Marion Bartoli. And of course the great Martina Navratilova. Which should have about the fitness level of Mats Wilander. The ladies are actually playing for victory, only Clijsters seems to be slowing down a bit.
The only ex-pro who can reconcile the will to win with theatricality is of course John McEnroe, the Commissioner of Tennis. McEnroe tries with Cedric Pioline against Sergi Bruguera and Younes El Aynaoui. Bruguera is still in the juice, McEnroe and Pioline are simply old gamblers, but like Wilander, Bartoli, Clijsters and Navratilova in Paris, they also pursue other tasks. Be it as a speaker or TV expert.
By the way, fitness is no guarantee for success even at a somewhat older age: Both Wilander and Martina Navratilova have to leave their courts as losers.
But Mats Wilander had a special moment on Wednesday: After Maria Sharapova’s match against Garbine Mugurza, the great Swede was honoured on the court Philippe Chatrier. Commemorating the 30th anniversary of his third and final triumph in Paris.