Hindi English Translation || Editorial || ​Hot on clay: On the French Open

​Hot on clay: On the French Open

The French Open looks truly open in both men’s and women’s sections

The French Open 2025, which got underway on Sunday, at once (straight away, right away, immediately) seems empty and so full of promise (something showing potential for future success or excellence). It is the first edition without the now-retired 14-time champion Rafael Nadal, who had established (स्थापित करना) such a stranglehold (पकड़, नियंत्रण) in Paris that Roland-Garros, during a soul-stirring ceremony on the opening evening, immortalised (honour, glorify; admire, cherish) his footprint — quite literally — on Court Philippe-Chatrier. But in his absence, the field is now open for a new player to stake claim (दावा करना). Defending (reigning, current; currently holding a title or championship) champion Carlos Alcaraz is the leading (अग्रणी) candidate (उम्मीदवार, प्रतियोगी) and is closely followed by World No. 1 Jannik Sinner. Spaniard (A native of Spain) Alcaraz has warmed up well, with Masters titles in Monte Carlo and Rome, and the Italian Open triumph, which came with a straight-sets victory over Sinner in the final, seen as the sounding of the bugle ((figuratively) signal; (bugle is generally a musical, brass instrument like a simple trumpet used for military signals). The sounding of the bugle may refer to “Daily Routines”). But Sinner, despite the defeat, will not be disheartened (निराश करना, हतोत्साहित करना). Rome was his first tournament after serving a three-month doping-related suspension (निलंबन), and a five-match winning run (period, stretch, spell), including a 6-0, 6-1 demolition (an overwhelming defeat, routing, thrashing, conquest) of two-time French Open finalist and World No. 8 Casper Ruud, proved that elite (best) tennis was still part of his muscle memory (the automatic movements you make without thinking about them. They’re the result of repetition and practice). Novak Djokovic, the 24-time Major winner, is without a Slam since US Open 2023, his worst run since 2016-18, but by winning in Geneva last week — his 100th Tour-level title — he is, at least, back in the conversation. Alexander Zverev, a semifinalist or better for four successive (लगातार, निरंतर) years in Paris, will want to shrug off (disregard, dismiss, ignore, forget, gloss over, make light of, pay no heed to, discount, set aside) his patchy (erratic, irregular, fluctuating, uneven, varying) recent form and show that he belongs (सदस्य होना) among the world’s best.

The women’s field is airier than the men’s, for three-time defending champion Iga Swiatek is far from (not, not at all; nowhere near, a long way from) being in tournament-winning form and a handful (मुट्ठी भर, कुछ ही) of stars are jostling (fight, battle, struggle, compete) to fill the space. The Polish (a native of Poland) player, hands down the best clay-court practitioner among women of the present era (युग, काल), has not even reached the final of a tune-up event (a preparatory activity or warm-up, as before a contest or game) and has an incredibly (अविश्वसनीय रूप से) difficult draw (fixture; a list of scheduled matches (between players) in a tournament) to grapple with (tackle with, deal with, cope (with), contend with, address, confront, experience, face). Her principal rival (प्रतिद्वंद्वी, विरोधी) and World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka looks primed (तैयार) to take advantage even as those like No. 2 Coco Gauff, No. 4 Jasmine Paolini – finalist in 2024 – and No. 7 Qinwen Zheng are snapping at her heels. Three-time Major winner Sabalenka is playing the best tennis of her career, and made the final in Stuttgart on indoor clay before bagging (win, secure, clinch; get, obtain, achieve) the Madrid trophy recently. Gauff, despite looking undercooked (unprepared; not fully readied), reached back-to-back (consecutive, successive, continuous) finals in Madrid and Rome while Paolini secured (obtain, acquire, gain, get, pick up) the Italian Open. Though without a title in the lead-up (circumstances, conditions, situation (before an event)), Zheng will have happy memories of Paris, a place where she won the 2024 Olympic singles gold medal. An outside bet (the non-favourites to win the competition) would be the all-action Jelena Ostapenko, the Roland-Garros titlist in 2017 who also triumphed in Stuttgart recently. A victory for her will be in line with (in alignment with; in accordance with) the women’s Tour’s propensity (tendency, habit, inclination, predisposition, readiness, disposition) to throw up (produce something) an eclectic (wide-ranging/extensive, comprehensive, broad-based, all-embracing, multidisciplinary) array (a large group of people; range, variety, mixture, raft) of champions.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.get under way (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - शुरू होना, आरंभ होना
English Meaning - start, begin.

2.establish (verb)

Hindi Meaning - स्थापित करना
English Meaning - prove, demonstrate, show, indicate, display; achieve.

3.stranglehold (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पकड़, नियंत्रण
English Meaning - control, grip, domination (over something).

4.stake claim (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - दावा करना
English Meaning - establish, assert, proclaim, declare (one’s right to something).

5.leading (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अग्रणी
English Meaning - number-one, top-rank, key, main, notable.

6.candidate (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उम्मीदवार, प्रतियोगी
English Meaning - contestant, contender.

7.dishearten (verb)

Hindi Meaning - निराश करना, हतोत्साहित करना
English Meaning - discourage, dispirit, shake up, sadden, dishearten, unnerve, disturb, upset, trouble, bother.

8.suspension (noun)

Hindi Meaning - निलंबन
English Meaning - elimination, rejection, termination, exclusion, removal.

9.successive (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - लगातार, निरंतर
English Meaning - consecutive, continuous, subsequent, succeeding, following, ina row, on the trot.

10.belong (verb)

Hindi Meaning - सदस्य होना
English Meaning - be a member of ( a particular group).l

11.handful (noun)

Hindi Meaning - मुट्ठी भर, कुछ ही
English Meaning - a few, a small number, a small quantity, some.

12.era (noun)

Hindi Meaning - युग, काल
English Meaning - time, period, age, epoch.

13.incredibly (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - अविश्वसनीय रूप से
English Meaning - very, highly, extremely, desperately, terribly.

14.rival (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रतिद्वंद्वी, विरोधी
English Meaning - opponent, adversary, contender, competitor.

15.primed (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - तैयार
English Meaning - ready, prepared, equipped.

16.hot on clay (phrase)

English Meaning - intense competition (wherein a lot of players are competing for the championship).

17.open (adjective)

English Meaning - available, accessible (to all players participating in the competition).

18.at once (phrase)

English Meaning - straight away, right away, immediately.

19.full of promise (phrase)

English Meaning - something showing potential for future success or excellence

20.Roland Garros (noun)

English Meaning - French open; a major tennis tournament (clay-court grand slam) held over two weeks at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France.

21.soul-stirring adjective)

English Meaning - moving, touching, heart-warming, uplifting, encouraging, pleasing.

22.immortalise (verb)

English Meaning - honour, glorify; admire, cherish.

23.footprint (noun)

English Meaning - impression, effect, impact; the area taken control by someone/something.

24.defending (adjective)

English Meaning - reigning, current; currently holding a title or championship.

25.Spaniard (noun)

English Meaning - A native of Spain.

26.bugle (noun)

English Meaning - (figuratively) signal; (bugle is generally a musical, brass instrument like a simple trumpet used for military signals). The sounding of the bugle may refer to “Daily Routines”

27.serve (verb)

English Meaning - do, fulfil, complete, carry out.

28.doping (noun)

English Meaning - the illegal use of a drug (such as a steroid) to improve an athlete’s performance.

29.run (noun)

English Meaning - period, stretch, spell.

30.demolition (noun)

English Meaning - an overwhelming defeat, routing, thrashing, conquest.

31.elite (noun as modifier)

English Meaning - best.

32.muscle memory (noun)

English Meaning - the automatic movements you make without thinking about them. They’re the result of repetition and practice.

33.Grand Slam (noun)

English Meaning - it is also referred to as majors, are the world’s four most important annual tennis events. The Grand Slam consists of the Australian Open in Melbourne, French Open in Paris, Wimbledon in London, and the U.S Open in New York.

34.shrug off (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - disregard, dismiss, ignore, forget, gloss over, make light of, pay no heed to, discount, set aside.

35.patchy (adjective)

English Meaning - erratic, irregular, fluctuating, uneven, varying.

36.airier comparative adjective of airy (adjective)

English Meaning - (more) open, accessible, available.

37.far from (phrase)

English Meaning - not, not at all; nowhere near, a long way from.

38.jostle (verb)

English Meaning - fight, battle, struggle, compete.

39.the Polish (noun)

English Meaning - a native of Poland.

40.hand down (phrase)

English Meaning - without question, easily, decisively.

41.tune-up event (noun)

English Meaning - a preparatory activity or warm-up, as before a contest or game.

42.draw (noun)

English Meaning - fixture; a list of scheduled matches (between players) in a tournament.

43.grapple with (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - tackle with, deal with, cope (with), contend with, address, confront, experience, face.

44.nip/snap at someone’s heels (phrase)

English Meaning - in a competition/contest) to trail/follow someone very closely and have a chance of defeating/replacing him/her.

45.bag (verb)

English Meaning - win, secure, clinch; get, obtain, achieve.

46.undercooked (adjective)

English Meaning - unprepared; not fully readied.

47.back-to-back (adjective)

English Meaning - consecutive, successive, continuous.

48.secure (verb)

English Meaning - obtain, acquire, gain, get, pick up.

49.lead-up (noun)

English Meaning - circumstances, conditions, situation (before an event).

50.outside bet (noun)

English Meaning - the non-favourites to win the competition.

51.all action (adjective)

English Meaning - (of a person) doing a particular activity with great energy and strength.

52.in line with (phrase)

English Meaning - in alignment with; in accordance with.

53.propensity (noun)

English Meaning - tendency, habit, inclination, predisposition, readiness, disposition.

54.throw up (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - produce something.

55.eclectic (adjective)

English Meaning - wide-ranging/extensive, comprehensive, broad-based, all-embracing, multidisciplinary.

56.array (noun)

English Meaning - a large group of people; range, variety, mixture, raft.