PARIS — Sitting courtside at the French Open on Wednesday, close enough to hear the ball bouncing off the damp red clay, you were also close enough to sense the hunger gap.
Dominic Thiem, 23 and on the rise, was throwing himself into next-gear forehands on Court Suzanne Lenglen: sprinting and sliding for drop shots and exuding the sort of power and relentless positive energy that wins Grand Slam titles.
Novak Djokovic, 30 and on the wane, seemed muted in comparison.
Yes, there were flashback moments: a reflex return winner that elicited a collective gasp of surprise; a wide-eyed, in-the-moment look at what remains of his entourage after prevailing in an extended corner-to-corner-to-corner point in the first set.