Does the French Open feel different from other tournaments?

Throughout 2017, we’ll discuss the themes of the season with three former players and current tennis commentators: Jimmy Arias, James Blake and Mary Carillo. Roland Garros, the venue and indigenous name of the season’s second Grand Slam tournament, is the topic of our latest conversation.

James Blake: When I watched it on television, I thought that. And as a fan I can still see that perspective. The French Open always seemed to be the most physical tournament, with longer points and the players walking away dirty and dusty, with clay-filled socks. It had that element of swashbuckling, a complete battle from beginning to end. But in terms of the actual physicality of the game, I don’t think there is as much of a difference now as there was 15 or 20 years ago between the French Open and Wimbledon.

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I once played Gael Monfils at Roland Garros and the crowd was going nuts. The fans are so close, right on top of you. But it was actually a fun atmosphere. They can be biased, of course, but they are really knowledgeable and appreciate the sport.

Mary Carillo: I’ve always loved clay because it is the most artistic surface. One of my theories on why Roger Federer has hung around for so long is because he’s more of an artist than an athlete. Artists get to play longer because they play with imagination. They’re always adding things; they are never content. They are able to change their concepts about what they want to do on court. And in my mind, you can create more on a clay court than on any other surface.

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I love sliding. I never owned a big game. I’m a lefty but I never had a great serve. I had decent hands. I had some touch. I enjoyed long points—I liked creating. That’s probably why I was attracted to tennis over other sports, because you could play it any way you want to. To me the autonomy of it was so pretty—especially on clay. It’s where you learn how to attack, how to defend, how to move, how to restart a point. Clay is the game’s classroom.

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PLUS: Watch the Racquet Bracket Show on Tennis Channel this Friday at 9 PM ET—then play the Racquet Bracket game for the men's and women's draws.