Return to 2002: Freestyle Superstar

Chapter 617: After breaking the defense, break the defense again!

The five-set battle lasted nearly six hours.

This should be the longest Grand Slam match Chen Ran has ever played.

What time is it now?

It was almost one in the morning.

Chen Ran and Nadal could hardly stand and had to hold on to the net.

Upon seeing this, the French Open organizing committee immediately brought two chairs for the players to sit down.

After Chen Ran sat down, he drank a few sips of water and recovered. Then he slowly took the microphone and said jokingly, "Good morning, everyone!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the audience at Roland Garros burst into laughter.

Although this game was tense and exciting and definitely worth the price of the ticket, everyone was mentally exhausted after sitting in chairs and watching the game for 6 hours.

After hearing Chen Ran's opening remarks, I was also impressed by his wit and humor. (This paragraph is a tribute to the 2012 Australian Open final between Djokovic and Nadal)
"Good morning?"

The French host was slightly stunned, then replied, "You can say that, after all, this game lasted from yesterday to today."

Although the French don't like to speak English, they even arrogantly think that foreigners must speak French when chatting with them.

But this is the French Open, Roland Garros, which brings together the world's top tennis players. You can't ask the tennis players to learn French just to participate in the French Open, right?
You speak English and I speak French, isn't that like talking to a deaf person or playing the lute to a cow?

Therefore, the official language of the French Open is still English.

Of course, the same is true for the Chinese season, where the official language is also English.

But one special thing about the current Chinese season is that if only Chen Ran participates in a tour held in China, he will definitely be the final champion.

This allows the champion interview after the final to be conducted in Chinese.

This is a special case only!

"Then tell us how you feel at this moment." The French host continued to ask, "This is your third time winning the championship. Are you still so excited?"

"Of course, every time I win a Grand Slam title, it's exciting. And this is Roland Garros, where I missed the title last year."

“It’s a great feeling to win this championship again.”

The French host added: "Yes, especially since the opponent is the same person."

Nadal looked obviously uncomfortable when he heard this and laughed awkwardly a few times.

In fact, he is still in the "slightly breaking defense" stage at this moment.

Chen Ran's words, "Wild beasts always walk alone, while pigs and sheep travel in herds," were a naked mockery of him and Federer for forming a small group.

If it is a team sport like football or basketball, forming a small group among several players and excluding one of them can indeed have unexpectedly miraculous effects.

But this is tennis. What's the point of forming a small team?

Are they forming a small group?

Can you stop Chen Ran from continuing to win Grand Slam titles?
Even if he and Federer met in a Grand Slam tournament, he would not show mercy just because they had a small team, and they would still fight fiercely.

"You know, Roland Garros means something special to me. So I hope to defend here, not only this year, but also next year and the year after."

"Wow..." The French host was stunned for a moment, then murmured, "Such a domineering declaration, are you treating Roland Garros as your own territory?"

"I have won the French Open three times. Isn't this my territory?" Chen Ran asked back.

The French host was speechless.

This kid is too arrogant.

He completely disregards all heroes in the world.

But it's good this way. Every year at the French Open, the topic and traffic will be full. "There is another question. Not only me, but I think all the audience here are curious."

The French host then asked, "Your previous clay season seemed to be very average. Many people said that you were deliberately holding back for the French Open, and some said that you deliberately avoided Nadal before the French Open final. What do you think about this?"

Hearing this, Chen Ran touched his nose and smiled indifferently.

He had been avoiding this question before and never chose to answer it directly.

To be honest, this question is not important at all.

Because people only look at the results, not the process.

After Chen Ran won the French Open for the third time, no one cared about his poor performance in the clay court season.

As long as you win the most important French Open title, nothing else matters.

"How should I put it..." Chen Ran paused and said slowly, "At least I didn't miss the previous clay court season, right? In fact, I played the game seriously, but my condition was very average."

"Fortunately, I adjusted my condition in time and showed my full strength at the French Open."

"I promise that in this final, I didn't hold back at all and gave it my all."

Because I was playing in a downshift, but I was still very serious during the race, except that I didn't shift up even when it came to the crucial moment.

So, there is nothing wrong with what he said, and it is not a lie.

In addition, Chen Ran also made it clear that it didn’t matter how he performed in the previous clay court season. What mattered was that he performed well in the French Open.

Today, for the fans who bought tickets to watch the game, the ticket price is worth it, and that is enough.

The French host said again: "Indeed, if you win the French Open in the end, everything before that won't matter. This clay court season will still be perfect."

As the saying goes, the speaker is unintentional, but the listener is intentional.

When Nadal heard this, he felt that the Frenchman had something else in his words, and his expression suddenly became extremely interesting.

In the clay court season, Nadal won the Monte Carlo Masters, Madrid Masters, Rome Masters, and Barcelona 500 in one go.

This achievement is brilliant enough.

But if you ask others, between Chen Ran and Nadal, who has a more successful clay court season?
Most people would blurt out: Chen Ran, that’s the French Open champion!
A French Open championship directly crushed Nadal's efforts throughout the clay court season.

The reality is so cruel!

Then, the French host's next words made Nadal even more defensive.

"Chen Ran, Rafael dominated this year's clay court season. He won many heavyweight tour championships with an unstoppable momentum. So, is this kind of victory more meaningful and valuable to you?"

"I think this could be the most prestigious French Open title ever!"

!!!

Nadal was stunned and almost fell off the stool in anger.

Fortunately, he had enough concentration to keep his body steady.

What is the implication of this statement?
No matter how hard Nadal tried, he dominated the clay court season before the French Open and showed unparalleled dominance. But to this day, all of this was just to help Chen Ran.

He won so many heavyweight clay court tournament championships just to add value to Chen Ran's championship today.

Defensive!
The Spaniards broke through again!
French guys, are you deliberately targeting me with this award ceremony?

Chen Ran didn't look at Nadal, but just lowered his head and pondered for a while, then replied: "I didn't pay attention to these details, but you said it as if it was the case. I am proud of this championship."

……

(End of this chapter)