What a wash-out this red-clay season has been for the home contingent. Since we left Miami behind in early April, 10 Britons have amassed just 12 tour wins between them – two fewer than world No 1 Iga Swiatek has managed on her own.
My first encounter with a tennis court was not a happy one. As a 13-year-old in wicked, privileged, sunny South Africa, I was sent to stay with an aunt and uncle who lived in Durban. There were tennis parties for teenagers almost every afternoon during the school holidays in one or another of their numerous friends’ lush gardens. A tennis racquet was thrust into my hand, I was paired up with some unfortunate 13-year-old boy and sent on court. I was, it goes without saying, quite hopeless.
The clay-court GOAT and British great are set for one final tilt at Roland Garros