Promotions and Demotions Following the 2016 French Open

Of note:

Dai-Yokozuna (Great Grand Champion) Novak Djokovic won his 12th Grand Slam title and his first French Open, beating long-standing Ozeki Andy Murray in four sets, and therefore completing a career slam.

Fellow Dai-Yokozuna Roger Federer had to sit the tournament out with an injury, the first Grand Slam tournament in almost 18 years in which Federer did not participate. Inactive Dai-Yokozuna Rafael Nadal withdrew in the third round due to a wrist injury, therefore missing out on a chance to regain active status (he would have needed to reach the semi-final).

Dai-Yokozuna Serena Williams reached the 28th Grand Slam final of her career, losing only for the 7th time. Fellow Yokozuna Maria Sharapova had to sit the tournament out, as she is expecting a verdict on her use of a banned substance.

Ozeki (=Champions) Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka met in the semifinals - with Murray having the better end for himself - hence both held rank both held rank. Murray is again on a Yokozuna run: the two (lost) finals at the 2016 Australian and French Open plus a 2016 Wimbledon title would be enough for a promotion to the highest rank, given that he has won two grand slams already. Wawrinka, by now, also deplays remarkable consistency as an Ozeki: Wimbledon 2016 will be his 10th tournament at this rank. Behind the Yokozuna and Ozeki, there is no male Sekiwake (=Junior Champion I) at this juncture - the dominance of the top players in the men's game is immense.

In the ladies' game, there is no Ozeki: Simona Halep got demoted to Sekiwake, after losing under somewhat unfortunate circumstances (it was raining cats and dogs) to ex-Ozeki Samantha Stosur. Rank protection is not totally extinguished, however: a semifinal at Wimbledon and Halep will gain back Ozeki rank.

Halep shares Sekiwake rank with he 2016 French Open champion Garbine Muguruza. Muguruza also earned a kinboshi (=gold star) for beating Serena Williams in the final in straight sets. Muguruza is on both an Ozeki and a Yokozuna run: a win at Wimbledon would make her a Yokozuna, a quarterfinal participation Ozeki.

How difficult these steps are was demonstrated by Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber, however, who lost in the first round in three sets to Kiki Bertens. Instead of Ozeki, it is Komusubi (=Junior Champion II) for Kerber - though she still has a shot at Ozeki if she reaches the semifinals at Wimbledon. Also demoted to Komusubi got Agnieszka Radwanska, who lost her 4th round match to former Komusubi Tsetana Pironkova, in similarly unfortunate circumstances as Halep.

Kiki Bertens marched all the way through to the semifinals, thus arning a first-time promotion to Komusubi. She is 61st female Komusubi of the open era. The 83rd male Komusubi of the open era is Dominic Thiem, who made the most of his quarter of the draw opening up with Nadal's retirement to also advance to the semis, where he lost to Djokovic.

The Komusubi ranks are completed by the ex-Ozeki Tomas Berdych (men) and Samantha Stosur (ladies), who both got promoted back into the sanyaku (championship) ranks following to consecutive quarterfinals/a grand slam semifinal, respectively, and by ex-Sekiwake and quarterfinalist Richard Gasquet, who held rank.

Sanyaku Rank Changes

Player (career rank if different)	To	From
Promotions
Garbine Muguruza	Sekiwake	Maegashira
Dominic Thiem	Komusubi*	Maegashira
Kiki Bertens	Komusubi*	Maegashira
Tomas Berdych (ex-Ozeki)	Komusubi	Maegashira
Samantha Stosur (ex-Ozeki)	Komusubi	Maegashira
Demotions
Angelique Kerber	Komusubi	Sekiwake
Agnieszka Radwanska	Komusubi	Sekiwake
Marin Cilic (ex-Ozeki)	Maegashira	Komusubi
Milos Raonic (ex-Sekiwake)	Maegashira	Komusubi
Flavia Pennetta (ex-Sekiwake)	Maegashira	Komusubi
Roberta Vinci (ex-Sekiwake)	Maegashira	Komusubi
Viktoria Azarenka (ex-Ozeki)	Maegashira	Komusubi
Johanna Konta	Maegashira	Komusubi

* New career high

Kinboshi:
("gold star" - prize awarded to a non-sanyaku ranked competitor for beating an active Yokozuna):

• Garbine Muguruza - for beating Dai-Yokozuna Serena Williams in the final