Roland Garros: 5 things we learned on Day 5 - don't play Nadal on his birthday

Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic were in action during the day. And the fans were able to see them. Rafael Nadal was shunted into the behind-closed-doors session at 9pm. It was X-rated viewing for fans of Richard Gasquet.

Rafael Nadal played his second round match at the French Open on his 35th birthday. © Pierre Rene-Worms/RFI

Legends day

At some point the organisers won’t have to worry. But for the moment: how to fit in living legends Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer on centre court on the same day? The snag is that there are four matches per day on the court - two women’s singles and two men’s singles. For the first round it was easy, get Roger to play on Day 2. You then place Rafa in the afternoon on Day 3 and Novak at night. Day 5? Rafa got the night gig, Roger the daytime show and Novak was allotted Court Suzanne Lenglen. Will Roger get the graveyard shift on Day 7?

Night session equality watch - looking like a boys' zone

Day 2: Serena Williams v Irina-Camelia Begu; Day 3: Novak Djokovic v Tennys Sandgren; Day 4 Daniil Medvedev v Tommy Paul; Day 5: Rafael Nadal v Richard Gasquet.

No contest

The big-serving American Andy Roddick was once asked whether he and Roger Federer would have a rivalry for the ages. “I'm gonna have to start winning some of the matches to call it a rivalry!” replied Roddick who claimed three of their 24 meetings between 2001 and 2012. Federer went on to rumble for the major titles with Djokovic and Nadal. Big things were expected of the showdown between Richard Gasquet and Rafael Nadal when they met in the semi-finals at the Monte Carlo Masters in 2005. It was the teenagers' second meeting on the main tour. Nadal had claimed the first clash in 2004 on the clay in Estoril in Portugal. In the 15 matches since, Nadal has won and Gasquet has only taken a set from him in three of the encounters. Was this really the match for night session? Should have got it out of the way during the day and at least the crowds could have had a good yell and given him a lift for the scaffold.

Gifts

Or perhaps, the French Tennis Federation is pandering to Nadal. They’ve stuck up a statue to him at the main entrance. Jordi Díez Fernandez’s oeuvre is very lovely too. The review thinks it’s a steely prop to stop a campaign for a court to be named after the most successful player to tread on the hallowed clay. It was Nadal’s 35th birthday on Day 5 … so what nicer way to celebrate than being presented with somebody you always beat?. After all, with the government’s curfew to stem the coronavirus pandemic, you can’t go out to celebrate at a restaurant.

Swiatek has steely-eyed perspective

Top seed Ashleigh Barty left the tournament on Day 5 to nurse a problem with her left hip. Her departure came a few days after the second seed Naomi Osaka stepped away from the women's tour to deal with her anxiety attacks. After her 6-1, 6-1 demolition of Sweden's Rebecca Petersen, defending champion Iga Swiatek was asked about the huge holes opening up in the draws. "You know, I don't care that many seeds have pulled out or lost as we see that so many players can win a Grand Slam, not having so much experience - I had that situation," said the 20-year-old going on 40. "I'm just focusing on the third round ... I'm going to play against Anett Kontaveit. She's super experienced. I already lost against her two times. So it's going to be a tough match. I'm just looking at that." Ooh cold. Hola, Jordi, better get ready for another commission.