Australian Open 2024, France’s Oceane Dodin Makes A Deep Run, Tall Statement

That is a tall order for a girl, who at 6 foot, stands tall over most of her opponents.

Now, her tennis is reaching new heights as well.

Time for a closer look.

Oceane is a French name meaning from the ocean.

Many magical stories could emanate from that.

Océane reached a career-high ranking in singles of No. 46 in June of 2017, and in doubles of No. 375 in October 2017, as ranked by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA).

Our French star has won one WTA Tour title at the 2016 Coupe Banque Nationale, and a further 16 singles titles on the ITF Women’s Circuit. Her best result at a singles major is reaching the fourth round of this year’s 2024 Australian Open.

It is great to see her trending upward.

Oceane is known for her fast ball-hitting power, an attribute common in her game. We watched her on film and so many of her balls come hard and straight. Improvement in accuracy would be a major plus.

She declares herself to be more at ease on hardcourt than on clay, a surface less suited to her game. Her game is also suited to her limited endurance, the repetition of exchanges leading her to have side points.

This style of play has been worked on since her early years in Villeneuve-d’Ascq targeting the glance and speed of execution.

In an interview for tennis.com, she said that she prefers her backhand over forehand, stating that her backhand is something that makes her stronger. She also stated that her serve and forehand need improvement

Oceane began playing on the ITF Women’s Circuit in July of 2011 at the age of 14. She first participated at the $10k Valladolid tournament, where she qualified for the main draw.

Her first significant achievement was in March 2012 at a $10k tournament in Bron, where she reached her first semifinal. In terms of finance, she has come a long way since then with prize money now surging past 2 million dollars.

Sound good.

How did she perform ins 2023?

Ranked No. 122 at the 2023 French Open, she recorded her first major win in six years over wildcard player and compatriot, Selena Janicijevic.

Closing out 2023 she scored consecutive titles in the ITF France 22A and ITF Luxembourg 01A tournaments to bring her ranking back into the top 100 at a season high of No. 93. After her great performances at the 2024 Australian Open, she should keep moving up in the rankings.

Let’s visit the village that helped raise her.

Lille is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders.

On the river Deûle, near France’s border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France region, the prefecture of the Nord department, and the main city of the European Metropolis of Lille.

The city of Lille proper had a population of 236,234 in 2020 within its small municipal territory but together with its French suburbs and exurbs the Lille metropolitan area (French part only), which extends over 643 square miles, had a population of 1,515,061 that same year. It is the fourth most populated in France after Paris, Lyon, and Marseille.

A former major mechanical, food industry and textile manufacturing center as well as a retail and finance center, Lille is the largest city of a conurbation, built like a network of cities.

The world travelers at lonelyplanet.com express, “Capital of the Hauts-de-France région, Lille may be France’s most underrated metropolis. Highlights include its enchanting old town with magnificent French and Flemish architecture, renowned art museums, stylish shopping, outstanding cuisine, a nightlife scene bolstered by 67,000 university students, and some 1600 designers in its environs.”

Amazing. 67,000 students is a very young and vibrant city.

We’re sure they love to eat to restore all of that youthful energy.

The creative team at thewalkingparrot.com share, “The food culture in Lille is rich and varied, although most commonly known for its waffles, waterzooi, and finally mussels with fries, as many other regions of France.”

And this too.

A braderie is a type of grand yearly street fair and street market found in Lille, mostly held in the summer months.

Typically, the local vendors put up stands outside of their shops in which they will sell their goods at a reduced price.

This basic set up is often accompanied by outside traders, various food stands, a flea market, craftsmen making traditional tools, art or footwear (such as wooden shoes), live music (often provided by a local boerenkapel), street theater and people in traditional garments.

One of the most famous Braderies in Europe, is the annual Braderie de Lille, France. It gathers millions of visitors.

Oceane is from a very exciting and spectacular part of the world.

She will gain more attention after the Australian Open. Her sponsors are Wilson and New Balance.

More attention is what she deserves.

So, at the 2024 Australian Open, France’s statuesque star Oceane Dodin has served notice.

In 2024, she is ready to make a deep run.

The headlines are coming, following alongside her blistering straight line groundstrokes.

In 2024, defeating Oceane Dodin, will be a very tall order.

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OPENING PHOTO Pexels.com-Jose-Vasquez-photo-credit fcielitecompetitor.com, fciwomenswrestling2.com, femcompetitor.com, grapplingstars.com fcielitecompetitor.com

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oc%C3%A9ane_Dodin

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lille

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/france/northern-france/lille

https://www.thewalkingparrot.com/post/what-to-eat-and-drink-in-lille

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braderie