Brenda Fruhvirtova a win away from breaking her Roland Garros curse
Young Czech newcomers Brenda Fruhvirtova (aged 16, and the world No. 146) and Sara Bejlek (17, the world No. 180) fought their way into the final round of Roland Garros qualifying on Wednesday.
Greet Minnen, a 25-year-old Belgian and the current world No. 56 has plenty more experience than the Czech wonderkids but this season she has rubbed shoulders with the up-and-coming players on the ITF World Tennis Tour to build her game back in to shape - and has reaped the rewards.
All three, who have honed their craft on the ITF World Tennis Tour over the past year, are now just a win away from the main draw at Roland Garros.
In the case of Fruhvirtova, it is not easy being 16, let alone while trying to battle through the qualifying draw at a Grand Slam – even after achieving the feat in Australia this year. Throw in the cold that has hindered her in recent days and an already complicated relationship with the event, and the Czech prodigy has plenty more to contend with than simply striking balls.
“I played it twice in juniors and I have only bad experiences from here,” Fruhvirtova laughs, of the history that may well reduce some of the expectations on her very gifted young shoulders in Paris.
“On Tuesday I thought [my luck] was not going to change but somehow it did and I’m really glad. After this, I will finally look back on Paris in a good way.
“When I played the juniors, it still gave me some experience of the courts and the place but still, coming here this year, I was thinking I had nothing to lose because I never won a match here. Winning one match here was already a positive. But I was watching when I was a kid, so it’s really nice to play here now on this big stage.”
Fruhvirtova only turned 16 last month but has already gained important experience through her success on the ITF World Tennis Tour, having collected eight titles at W25 level and one at W40 level over the past 15 months.
That winning habit was on full display on Wednesday as she battled past Kathinka Von Deichmann 7-6(4) 6-1 to earn her spot in the final round of qualifying.
“Last year I had a lot of matches and it gave me a lot of experiences so when I have tough situations like this, I remember how I was managing it last year,” she said. “For sure [those wins] gave me confidence. And also I’m a fighter so no matter how I feel, I will fight for it. But today it was really rough for me, to play with this cold. Winning the first set was very important, and then I got into the flow.”
The Czech faces Frenchwoman Alice Robbe next for a place in the main draw at Roland Garros for the first time.
“It means a lot to me but I’m trying not to think about it and I’m just going match by match,” she said. “I had some health issues today so it was pretty challenging. I’ll just see what happens in the next match. I’m gonna do my best but I can’t be saying that I see myself in the main draw already.
“I think a little bit about the expectations sometimes… but not that much. I like it when people are coming to see me play and cheering for me or even my opponent… as long as they come and watch.”
Beljek likes the big tournaments better
Her compatriot Sara Bejlek doesn’t share the same Roland Garros curse. She played the semi-finals of the junior event here last year and won the title in doubles. After improving very fast through ITF tournaments in 2022, Bejlek has struggled for consistency this year year but appears to have found form at Roland Garros.
On Wednesday, she beat Canadian Carol Zhao in straight sets for a spot in the final round of qualifying.
“This season was good in Australia but after that, I wasn’t feeling my best or playing my best tennis,” Bejlek admitted. “I don’t know why but I’m playing better in the bigger tournaments, and that’s good for the future.”
She displayed a smile as big as her potential when we spoke post match.
“It was a tough match and I’m happy about that win, but already looking ahead to the next match," she said.
"Of course, I was always watching this tournament [as a kid]. I was here last year for the juniors but also, when I was younger, I used to watch Rafael Nadal on TV. I’m happy I’m able to now play here, it’s an amazing feeling coming from the juniors because it’s such a big tournament that the feeling is different. One more big step for the main draw now.”
Czech women have been doing very well for a long time, and having so many compatriots succeeding around her is something that Bejlek appreciates.
“We have a lot of good players coming up and it’s helping us to move to the top because you always want to get better than the others. We really have a good system with the federation," she added.
Greet Minnen is a woman on a mission
Greet Minnen is not a teenager anymore but she has also been going through the ranks on the ITF World Tennis Tour to get her game and ranking back in order to be in the position she is now in at Roland Garros. The Belgian ranked as high as No. 61 in October 2021, looking ready to deliver on predictions made by those who believed she had top 40 potential, but she tumbled out of the top 200 at the start of the 2023 season following injuries.
She returned to the ITF level and, now coached now by Philippe Dehaes, soon enough titles in singles and doubles began to tot up. She made two finals right before Roland Garros, falling to Sloane Stephens in Saint-Malo in France and to Yanina Wickmayer in Slovakia. Minnen sits in joint second place on the list for most match-wins on the ITF World Tennis Tour in 2023 and, as a result of her efforts, is now 56 in the world and reached the final last round of qualifying in Paris after defeating Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-4 6-1.
Dehaes couldn’t resist running to give her a big hug right before she started talking to us. Minnen went through a rough time and her coach knows how big this all is for her.
“The ITF World Tennis Tour helped me a lot, really,” she admitted. “I have some years of experience on the Tour and it’s not easy at all to start all over again when the ranking falls down. But I’ve now found a way to rebuild my game and my ranking, and I see how fast it can go.
“Honestly, it’s really tough competition at the ITF level, everybody is fighting for every point, so it’s worth it to go through it because the level is very strong. Going through qualifying is not easy but I’ve won so many matches since the start of the year that I have a lot of confidence. Now the goal is also to be directly in the main draw at the US Open.”
Minnen has very fond memories of Roland Garros because she went there for the first time long before she was a pro tennis player.
“Roland Garros is the first Grand Slam I was able to attend when I was a kid with my father,” she remembered. “It’s always nice to play here, also because so many Belgians are coming here.”