Wildcard

In tennis, a wildcard is an invitation given to a player who has not earned a spot in the main draw of a tournament based on their ranking or performance in previous events. There have been several wildcard players who have had success at the French Open. One of the most notable examples is Gustavo Kuerten, a Brazilian player who was awarded a wildcard entry to the 1997 French Open. Despite being ranked outside the top 50 at the time, Kuerten went on to win the tournament, defeating several top-ranked players along the way. He went on to win the French Open two more times in 2000 and 2001. Other notable wildcard success stories at the French Open include Jelena Ostapenko, who won the women's singles title in 2017 after receiving a wildcard into the main draw, and Marco Cecchinato, who reached the men's singles semifinals in 2018 after being awarded a wildcard.