Novak Djokovic departed Roland Garros with all the dignity and statesmanship of a ruling monarch, but still arrives at Wimbledon feeling his crown sits askew.
The reigning Wimbledon champion dispatched clay king Rafael Nadal, swatted aside the resurgent Andy Murray – and was all set to complete his ascent to the career grand slam throne in Paris when up popped humble page boy Stan Wawrinka.
The unassuming Swiss – bar those court jester shorts, of course – pulled off the masterstroke few thought possible, edging out Djokovic seemingly at the height of his powers.
Djokovic’s one big quest remains unfulfilled then, to win the French Open and pay ultimate tribute to his late first coach and “second mother”, Jelena Gencic.
Wawrinka refuses to put himself in the same class echelon as tennis’s “big four” of Djokovic, Nadal, Federer and Murray, but his win in Paris certainly at the very least nudges him closer.
Djokovic has long since boasted the strength of character to master his emotions and project grace in defeat, but the collected Serb scaled new levels of composure in congratulating Wawrinka on court.
“In life some things are more important than victories on the tennis court, like character and respect, and you (Wawrinka) deserve your win today because of the respect everyone has for you,” said a doubtless-dejected Djokovic.
It was Gencic who taught Djokovic that life does not begin and end at the tramlines, but after being again denied his desire to honour his late coach, once more did the Serb draw on those lessons from yesteryear.
Tennis’s grand slam show rolls into West London in rude health and boasting plenty of intrigue then: Djokovic must quickly cast off any Parisian shadow to mount a staunch defence of his title.
Djokovic may have dumped out the nine-time French Open champion Nadal in his own personal fiefdom in Paris, but the Mallorca native has since moved on to claim his first title on grass since 2010.
Nadal triumphed at in Stuttgart, the German tournament switching from clay to grass to capitalise on the extra week in the calendar between the French Open and Wimbledon.
The 29-year-old seems destined for the remainder of his career to be blighted by injury concerns and doubts, but victory in Germany went at least some way to proving he could hold focus for the shift in surface.
Nadal has often been prone to mind-wandering moments on grass, especially in the build-up weeks ahead of Wimbledon.
His fourth-round exit at the All England Club to raw Australian teenager Nick Kyrgios last year remains the latest indicator of Nadal’s potential for fragility.
The man from Manacor has yet to reach a Wimbledon quarter-final since ending as runner-up in 2011 – but declared himself ready to embrace his “second-favourite surface” across the summer during the Queen’s Club championships.
Nadal insisted “I don’t know and I don’t care much now” when quizzed on his chances of adding to his haul of 14 major titles this summer.
Instead he just revelled in being fit for action after years of knee injuries.
“The first three and a half months of the season were terrible for me, very bad,” said Nadal.
“But I feel I am playing better now, my knees are fine, and if my knees are fine I have chances to compete well.
“My main goal is to finish the season healthy.
“I was not surprised that I lost at Roland Garros because I didn’t make the right things before the tournament.”
And then there is Roger Federer. There is always Roger Federer.
Just ask Djokovic, who had to squeeze out every last drop of perspiration and inspiration to dislodge the Swiss grass master en route to his Wimbledon title in last year’s final.
Whatever protestations Federer may make to the contrary, the evergreen showman is still intent on moving past the record of seven Wimbledon titles he shares with Pete Sampras.
Last year every progression was met with a caveat, that the 17-time grand slam champion could not possibly summon one more Wimbledon crown.
Even within the final itself there were moments when he almost pulled off that coup.
As Nadal pointed out in reference to Wawrinka’s French Open triumph that many regarded unthinkable given Djokovic’s dominance, “That’s tennis, no?”
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