There was delight and anticipation when Paris was awarded the Olympic Games and Roland-Garros designated the tennis venue. Roland-Garros is one of the most beautiful tennis complexes in the world. The 34 acre site is adjacent to gardens and charming places to stroll and sit. Each day we arrived with a baguette and picnic selections. There was strong security but also a French recognition that satisfying the palate presented no great risk.

The iconic red clay courts have been the site of many historic matches including 14 French Open titles for Spaniard Rafa Nadal. A statue of a frenzied looking Nadal in action greets visitors at the entrance. Before the Games began Nadal announced he would play with current ATP phenomenon Carlos Alcaraz to represent Spain in men’s doubles. There was fevered anticipation of the old guard partnering with youth in perhaps his last valiant attempt at French glory.

#Nadalcaraz images.

Carlos Alcaraz images.

Novak Djokovic of Serbia also made his heart and intentions clear that he was aiming for the one bit of hardware that had eluded him in his storied career: a gold medal. It was a thrill to see the Serbian fans exhault in loud cheers of “Nole, Nole, Nole” a la the Ole chants of international soccer matches.

Tennis at the Olympics may seem an odd fit. Unlike sports like swimming or marathons, professional tennis players are mostly together every week year around as they compete and make their living. Despite that, it was fun to see the obvious patriotic enthusiasm and pride which the competitors displayed.

We considered ourselves fortunate to have seen so much tennis during the first three days of the nine day competition. We had a natural bias toward seeing American players. We were able to explore the outside courts to see Emma Navarro and delighted meeting her collegiate University of Virginia coaches. We also saw Coco Gauff and Danielle Collins.

Emma Navarro images. Coaches: Sara O'Leary & Gina Suarez-Malaguti.

Coco Gauff images.

Danielle Collins images.

Surprisingly or not, we found the doubles play most compelling. What a thrill to see Rajeev Ram, at 40 years old, and Austin Krajicek play. Their team communication and savvy shot selection could inspire any competitive player or business executive. Frankly that level of strategy was missing from a number of top singles players who teamed with compatriots to play doubles.

Austin Krajicek and Ram Rajeev images [Silver Medalist].

Shout out also to Angelique Kerber of Germany, future Hall of Famer and Grand Slam champion. Kerber announced the Olympics would be her last professional tournament. At 36 years young she showed why she was a champion and went as far as being a set up on eventual gold medalist Zheng Qinwen of China before losing in three sets. It was a valiant effort and classic way to go out swinging.