Grigor Dmitrov

Grigor Dmitrov

Grigor Dmitrov advanced through blood, sweat, and tears to his first French Open quarterfinal on his fourteenth try. | @rolandgarros
After tears were shed for Nadal's first-round loss, the Drench Open has delivered a flurry of meaningful moments and a blockbuster quarterfinal lineup.

The Drench Open.

That’s the nickname that took hold in the first week at Roland Garros this year, as each day of play was delayed by rain (mainly on the plains adjoining Spain … IYKYK).

Match after match was delayed, yet somehow, with the two roofs on Courts Philippe Chatrier and Suzanne Lenglen, week two arrived with the schedule intact, though not without some very late evenings.

And what a week two we have in store. The quarterfinals of both brackets are absolutely stacked. Get ready for some blockbuster matches this week.

Men’s Quarterfinals

(1) Novak Djokovic vs. (7) Casper Ruud

(4) Alexander Zverev vs. (11) A. de Minaur

(9) Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. (3) Carlos Alcaraz

(10) Grigor Dmitrov vs. (2) Jannik Sinner

Women’s Quarterfinals

(1) Iga Swiatek vs. (5) Marketa Vondrousova

(3) Coco Gauff vs. (8) Ons Jabeur

(12) Jasmine Paolini vs. (4) Elena Rybakina

Mirra Andreeva vs. (2) Aryna Sabalenka

Farewell Rafa … maybe

The 14-time champion was the talk of the tournament for all of one match.

Rafael Nadal, the greatest clay court player to have ever roamed the earth, succumbed in noble fashion to an unkind first-round draw against fourth-seed Alexander Zverev.

In the stands to watch the match were Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek, and Carlos Alcaraz. Yes, this was an important moment in tennis.

Despite losing in three sets, Nadal acquitted himself well. He had chances in sets two and three to turn the match in his favor. No one knew what to expect of his level after a full year of injuries, false starts, and atypical losses.

But the level he brought against Zverev probably would have beaten 90% of the draw. Had he received a more fortunate first round, he still would have faced a seed in the second round, but probably not a top seed. He could have lathered himself into form and become a legit contender, but it wasn’t meant to be.

Odds are good this was his final match at the French Open, but he is unwilling to commit to that ending right now. He says he still wants to play next year, and in typical Rafa fashion, he won’t concede this particular match until the final point is over. We’ll save a spot for you next year, Rafa.

You booze, you lose

French Open officials banned alcohol from the stands after two high-profile complaints from name-brand players.

First, a fan spat a piece of gum at David Goffin, and he spoke openly about their unruly behavior, saying “It’s really too much. It’s becoming football, soon there will be smoke bombs, hooligans and there will be fights in the stands. It’s starting to become ridiculous. Some people are there more to cause trouble than to create an atmosphere.”

Then, Iga Swiatek pleaded with the crowd during her on-court interview after defeating Naomi Osaka in a terrific second-round battle, where she saved a match point and rallied from 5-2 down in the third set, to please be quiet during points.

There were probably many other incidents brought to the attention of tournament officials, and in short order they decided to put a lid on rowdiness by banning alcohol in the stadiums.

Opinions of the decision varied, but it worked. The complaints have dried up along with the alcohol.

Iga lost 10 points … in an entire match

You read that right. Ten total points lost in a match.

Swiatek smothered Anastasio Potapova 6-0 6-0 in their fourth-round affair.

An alternate scoreline would be 48-10. In points. 48 points is the bare minimum needed to win a match.

The entire contest only took 40 minutes. That’s shorter than a typical practice session.

Perhaps even more incredible, Swiatek only had two unforced errors and zero double faults. So in the entire match, she only missed two shots.

For Potapova’s sake, we’re going to stop there. Goodness.

Djokovic squeezes in another record

370 career Grand Slam victories, surpassing Federer’s 369.

It took two five-set comebacks while trailing two sets to one, but the 37-year-old pulled it off. His gas tank will be a question mark in the quarters against Casper Ruud, as well as a knee injury, but at the moment, appreciation is due for yet another remarkable record.

“G, you want to make a change?”

In which Hubert Hurkacz asks opponent and friend Grigor Dmitrov if he would like to get a new chair umpire in the middle of the match because he didn’t like her line calls.

Oh Hubie, you can’t do that. Bless your heart.

Even Hubie’s hubris is delightful.

Dmitrov would win the match, bloodied hands and elbows and all, advancing to his first ever French Open quarterfinal on his 14th try, thus checking off a QF appearance in all four majors.

Look what it meant:

More meaningful moments

Where is the Party? Here is the party.

Gratiuitous Carlos Alcaraz Highlight