By Erik Gudris | Saturday, October 3, 2020
Francesca Schiavone’s 2010 Roland Garros title still remains one of the most surprising and satisfying results in Grand Slam history.
Photo credit: Roland Garros Facebook
Anytime you mention Francesca Schiavone to a tennis fan, usually a huge smile appears on their face. “Schiavone! I love her. She was so fearless,” they might add.
Fearless is probably the best adjective to describe how Schiavone, then 29 years old, won the 2010 French Open title. Because before the tournament even started, very few, even the woman nicknamed “La Lionessa” would have picked her to win it all.
More: Kvitova Fights Off Fernandez, Reaches RG Fourth Round
“I tried to stay focused on my play, to just play and to enjoy, to really enjoy from the heart,” Schiavone said about her surprise win just after the final. “Expectation (of winning?), no, dream always. When I was younger always dreaming to win this tournament and now it's time to enjoy it."
Schiavone, seeded No. 17, entered her favorite tournament as a well-respected veteran on tour, but definitely not on the short list of players picked to win it all. That despite the Italian having won the warm-up event in Barcelona a few weeks prior to Paris. But like many times at Roland Garros, unexpected results in the draw opened the door for Schiavone to just maybe, maybe have a shot at the title.
Schiavone upset Caroline Wozniacki in the quarterfinals to reach her first career major semifinal. In that match, she offered a preview of how she would go on to win the title as she used her roundhouse forehand to open up the court before racing to the net for a final smash winner against her opponent.
The women’s semifinals featured four players all seeking their first ever major championship—Schiavone, Elena Dementieva, Jelena Jankovic, and Samantha Stosur. Of the four, the pride of Queensland, Australia Stosur entered as the favorite since she had achieved the nearly impossible task of beating two former champions, Justine Henin and Serena Williams, back to back to reach the final four.
Schiavone overcame Dementieva who retired in her match due to injury. Stosur overwhelmed Jankovic, a former No. 1, to reach her first ever major final.
That set the stage for Schiavone and Stosur to contend for the title. Stosur was the huge favorite, especially since she defeated Schiavone in straight sets in the first round of Paris the previous year. Stosur used her lethal kick serve and powerful forehand to gain an early advantage. Schiavone, however, changed tactics, and changed the course of history.
When a nervous Stosur appeared to shrink away from her opportunity, Schiavone seized her moment with destiny. Again, Schiavone charged the net at every opportunity rather than wait for Stosur to dictate from the baseline. Schiavone would seal the first set 6-4.
Stosur recovered in the second set though as she jumped out to a 4-1 lead. Once again though Schiavone rose to the occasion. As Stosur hit more errors, that allowed Schiavone back into the set for 4-all. Soon, both women found themselves in a tiebreak.
From there, Schiavone did not look back as she completed the improbable yet satisfying 6-4, 7-6(2) victory becoming the first Italian woman in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam singles title. As her friends and family, many wearing “Schiavo Nothing is Impossible” t-shirts celebrated, the woman herself kissed the red dirt in joyous rapture.
The win also provided joy and inspiration to tennis fans everywhere as the feisty Italian proved that despite the odds, the impossible can be achieved if you believe in yourself.
“This mean that everybody has a chance,” Schiavone said after her achievement. “To be who you really want to be, and to everything in your life. This is what’s happened to me.”
Schiavone returned to the Roland Garros final the next year, once again thanks to a somewhat unexpected run. She lost in the final to eventual champion Li Na.
After her Roland Garros glory, Schiavone continue to inspire and delight tennis fans with unbridled passion for the game. She retired from pro tennis in 2018 after having won eight career WTA titles and reached a career high ranking for No. 4 in the world.
“My heart still beats for this sport. I will find a way to express myself, not just inside, but outside, so I can transmit some good stuff, and fight in a different way,” Schiavone said during her retirement announcement at the 2018 US Open.
She certainly stayed true to her word. Schiavone successfully battled a bout with cancer in 2019. This year, decent the recent shutdown, Schiavone announced that she was opening a restaurant in Milan just in time for her 40th birthday.
Whether it’s winning a major championship, to delighting tennis fans, to starting a new chapter in her life, one thing is for sure, Francesca Schiavone approaches her life the same as she did on court—always fearless and always from the heart.