For the last two decades, the French Open has been the hardest Grand Slam to capture for anyone not named Rafael Nadal.
Between 2005 and 2025, there have only been seven years where someone other than Nadal has hoisted the Roland Garros title on Court Philippe Chatrier.
The most recent of which was this year, when Carlos Alcaraz defeated Jannik Sinner in a five-set thriller that lasted five hours and 29 minutes.
Many have come agonisingly close to winning it all in Paris, including two players who retired American tennis player John Isner thought should have at least clinched the title once.
John Isner names the two players he thought would win a French Open title
On the Nothing Major Podcast, Isner said: “I was certain Dominic Thiem was going to win one and be the number one clay court player. But injuries held him back.”
Compatriot and former player Stevie Johnson replied: “I think it is Dominic Thiem. But I don’t think he was ever going to win one in that era.
“I think he is an incredible clay-court player. Probably the second or third best ever, over the course of his career, but the guys he had to beat along the way, it was just never going to happen.”
Isner responded: “For me, I think it’s [Guillermo] Coria. Didn’t he have match points in the final, and he lost to Gaudio?
“I feel like Coria was so good on clay. He was never going to win the US Open or Wimbledon, but you thought if he was going to win something, he was going to win the French.”
Dominic Thiem and Guillermo Coria’s near misses at Roland Garros
Dominic Thiem enjoyed plenty of success on clay courts throughout his career, winning 10 titles on the surface, but never managed to emerge victorious at Roland Garros.
The Austrian made two French Open finals, in 2018 and 2019, both times coming up against the 14-time champion Nadal.
He was swept aside in straight sets by the Spaniard in 2018, and only managed to take a set off the king of clay the following year.
- Thiem against Nadal at Roland Garros 2018: 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 (L)
- Thiem against Nadal at Roland Garros 2019: 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 (L)
In Guillermo Coria’s case, the Argentine had just one appearance in the final of Roland Garros, which came in 2004, when he met countryman Gaston Gaudio.
Coria was two sets up in the match, but saw his dream of winning a maiden Grand Slam title fade away as Gaudio completed a historic comeback to win the tournament.
In his defeat, the former world number three became the first man in the Open Era to lose a major final after having a match point.
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