What Emma Navarro’s French Open loss means for US Olympic team

The tennis calendar is always busy, but this year is even more so.

With the Olympic Games – being held at Roland Garros – taking place in late July and early August, several of the biggest names will be gearing up in a tilt for Olympic gold.

And with the entry cut-off taking place the week after the French Open this spring, action at the tournament was always going to have a significant say on who made it, and who didn’t.

That was particularly the case for the United States, with huge strength and depth fighting for the limited number of spots available.

Pre-French Open scenario

With only four spots available for each nation, the race was well and truly on for Madison Keys and Emma Navarro approaching the clay season.

World No 3 and top-ranked American Coco Gauff was at no risk of losing her spot, and the same could be said for world No 5 Jessica Pegula – despite her withdrawal from the European clay swing.

However, Danielle Collins ’ surge up the rankings threw a cat among the pigeons for both Keys and Navarro.

While both initially looked comfortable in the Olympics race, Collins’ back-to-back Miami and Charleston victories sent her flying from outside the top 50 to well inside the top 20.

She only continued that form across the clay season, with a semi-final in Rome and a final in Strasbourg seeing her return to the top 10 before Roland Garros.

However, she was not the only US star to embark on a strong clay court run.

Keys herself impressed, with a run to the last four in Madrid, the last eight in Rome, and beating Collins in the Strasbourg final.

That has seen Keys jump from world No 20 to world No 12 over the past month and a half, with 3,283 ranking points to her name.

Unable to match those results, Navarro came into the French Open as world No 24, with 2,068 ranking points.

WTA Rankings: Iga Swiatek maintains healthy lead, Danielle Collins +2 Madison Keys +4, Peyton Stearns +19

Sabalenka ends Paris dream – in more ways than one

When the women’s singles draw was made, the projected round three between Keys and Navarro certainly got some tongues wagging – mostly due to the Olympic race.

And there was certainly a lot at stake when that materialised, with the two easing through to their contest last week.

Ultimately it was Navarro, the 22nd seed in Paris, who pulled off a slight upset, beating her higher-ranked compatriot 7-6(5), 7-6(3) to reach the second week of a major for the first time.

However, despite knocking out her Olympic rival, she still had an uphill task to qualify for Paris – with a run to the title likely needed to earn enough ranking points.

Sadly for the 23-year-old, she was unable to progress any further through the draw, being outclassed by world No 2 Aryna Sabalenka 6-2, 6-3 on Court Philippe Chatrier.

That means that barring any withdrawals, Keys will join Collins, Pegula, and Gauff in the United States Olympic team this summer.

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