10 legendary drubbings that happened at Roland-Garros

In 1968, the first 6-0, 6-0, 6-0 in history

Frenchman Daniel Contet became the first player to suffer a 6-0 6-0 6-0 loss in Open Era Grand Slam history against Yugoslavian Nikola Spaer. It was in the 1st round in 1968.

A 1h08 final in 1970

1 hour and 8 minutes: this is the duration of the final between Jan Kodes and Zeljko Franulovic, in 1970. It’s the shortest final in Roland-Garros history, won by Kodes, 6-2 6-4 6-0. 

Brian Gottfried won only 3 games in the 1977 final 

In 1977 Brian Gottfried qualified for the only Grand Slam final of his career. But the American only managed three games against Guillermo Vilas (6-0 6-3 6-0). He remains the player to have won the fewest games in a final at Roland-Garros.

1987: Bengoechea joins Daniel Contet 

In 1987, Argentinian Eduardo Bengoechea became the second player to be eliminated from a Grand Slam without winning a single game. His executioner in the 2nd round? Czechoslovakian Karel Novacek.

1987: Former champion defeated 6-0 6-0

Yugoslavian Mima Jausovec, victorious in Paris in 1977, is the only former Roland-Garros winner to have suffered a double bagel in the tournament. It came against Czechoslovakian Hana Mandlikova in the 1st round in 1987. The last match of Jausovec’s Roland-Garros career.

1988: Zvereva trashed in a 34-minutes final

In 1988, Natasha Zvereva won just 13 points and was dispatched in a lopsided final by the great Steffi Graf, 6-0 6-0 in 34 minutes.

1991: Graf trashed 6-0 6-2

In 1991, Graf suffered the most severe defeat of her Grand Slam career (6-0 6-2) against Arantxa Sanchez in the semifinals. The German had beaten Sanchez 10 times in their first 11 meetings.

1993: Thierry Champion humiliated in 60 minutes

In 1993, 60 minutes were enough for Sergi Bruguera, future winner, to dispatch Thierry Champion in the 2nd round of Roland-Garros without winning a single game. To date, Champion is the last player to have suffered such a Grand Slam humiliation.

2008: When Nadal manhandled Federer

In 2008, Rafael Nadal handed Roger Federer his worst ever Grand Slam defeat. The shellshocked Swiss won only four games against the Spaniard in the Roland-Garros final (6-1 6-3 6-0).

2018: defending champion trashed in the first round

In 2018, Jelena Ostapenko tumbled in the first round in two sets against the Ukrainian Kateryna Kozlova, 67th in the world (7-5 6-3). The Latvian thus equalled the worst performance of a defending champion at Roland-Garros.

It seems that failures build character. At least those who experienced these Roland Garros lashings would not have lost everything.