The Weight of Expectations
Everyone talks about how tough it is to be a French player competing at Roland Garros or a Brit player at Wimbledon because of the high expectations of the local fans for a national champion. However, how about being an American playing at the French Open? Every year, the U.S. TV, print (and now) online media recounts the exploits of past generations of American players who won the title at Roland Garros, i.e. Michael Change, Jim
Courier and Andre Agassi. At the same time, the current crop of American players, especially the top men such as Andy Roddick and James Blake, are asked in every press conference and interview about the lack of success that American players have had at the French Open. The Americans may be far from home in Paris, but they still feel the pressure to win from American tennis fans back across the pond…
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