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Roland Garros has a sort of magical quality to it. The clay courts and the views of Paris are just standing monuments to the history, the feeling, the love of tennis, and the unique atmosphere that makes the event feel both intimate and grand at the same time.
This year, I had the opportunity to go to the French Open as a guest of the Tennis Channel and Sinclair Broadcast Group. I attended with Bradley Fritzhand from Sinclair Broadcast Group, entrepreneur Jan Adams and senior adviser to the mayor of Washington, D.C., Beverly Perry. What took place during the tournament was not just the witnessing of a game, but it was a celebration of American pride, sportsmanship and a young American champion named Coco Gauff.
The moment we stepped onto the grounds, it became clear that Roland Garros was different from other sporting events. In the stadium, the French audience embodied their polite spirit. You could hear a pin drop during warm-ups in between points. The silence that filled the stadium was almost reverent, a stark difference from the loud excitement of other bigger tournaments. The crowd, in a sense, emulated what Roland Garros represents: a game of focus.
We sat courtside during the match in the Tennis Channel suite. What we soon realized was that, where we were situated, we would be seen on national television. A sense of pride came over me. I felt as if I was an ambassador to America, representing, at least in some small way, our great nation on the world stage.
I joked with my guests, “They’re seeing America when they see us on TV.” But there was some truth to what I said. Among a large international crowd, people from all across the world in attendance, we were one of the few Americans who would be consistently seen by everyone watching.
For me and many others, the most amazing part of the tournament was Coco Gauff’s comeback run. I have to admit, I wasn’t too sure she would win. It was a tough competition, but Coco proved me, and perhaps many others, wrong. She not only ended up winning the title with her strength, skill and contagious energy, but she won over the crowd too.
As she began taking the lead, the French crowd began chanting, “COCO! COCO! COCO!” To me, it sounded like they were chanting, “AMERICA! AMERICA! AMERICA!” It felt like, at that moment, the lines between countries were blurred.
Coco’s win represented more than just a trophy, though, because the way in which she acted on the court showed that she an even better human than she is a tennis player. She took pictures with every ballboy and girl at the game, she took pictures with fans and referees, she did everything she could to make the crowd happy, and they all loved her.
One funny moment came in the middle of the match when Spike Lee waved to us. As it turns out, Jan is friends with Lee. It was great to see how two people separated by the tennis court could communicate with one another through friendly gestures.
As the tournament came to an end and the American National Anthem came on, I couldn’t help but feel an immense level of pride overwhelming me as I sang along with it. It was a moving event, spiritual even. It is one that I will never forget.
Armstrong Williams (www.armstrongwilliams.com; @arightside) is a political analyst, syndicated columnist and owner of the broadcasting company, Howard Stirk Holdings. He is also part owner of The Baltimore Sun.