Nadal attacks another Rolland Garros title, will someone dethrone him?

The second Grand Slam of the season is coming up. The French Open starts on Sunday. The title is defended by Rafael Nadal, the best clay-court player in history will attack the 14th Grand Slam title from Paris and the 5th title in a row. However, his form on clay this year is not as dominant as in the past. Does that mean anything? Which tennis players can dethrone him?

Novak Djokovic

Enemy number one. The duel between Djokovic and Nadal is one of the greatest rivalries in tennis history. It’s compounded by the fact that they are both vying to be the best player in history.

And that is defined by the number of grand slams they have won. Nadal has caught up to Federer and has 20. Djokovic is close behind with 18 titles. The motivation of both players is clear.

Another issue is the Serb’s performance. He is not having a perfect clay court season either. He unexpectedly fell to Evans in Monte Carlo and Karatsev in Belgrade. But both Nadal and Djokovic are treating these tournaments more as preparation for Rolland Garros.

They regularly show their best in Paris. Therefore, their average form should not be taken as a benchmark. At the French Open, their performance will be on a completely different level.

This year, these tennis legends have already clashed on clay. In the final of the esteemed tournament in Rome. Nadal won a tight battle to claim another clay title. Djokovic, however, has proved his worth to Nadal. And that’s a very positive finding for the Serb.

Stefanos Tsitsipas

Candidate number two. The phantom of the current clay court season. His form is admirable. The title in Monte Carlo, the final in Barcelona (narrowly missing out to Nadal), the quarter-final in Rome (after a fight he lost to Djokovic) and the title in Lyon. Except for a wobble in Barcelona, he’s in incredible form.

Plus, he was able to test his performance against both Nadal and Djokovic. He fought evenly matched battles with them and only a few balls decided against him. He was very close to them in terms of his game.

But there’s one big but. The Grand Slam is a completely different tournament. It’s a test of endurance for the favourites, especially mentally. Tsitsipas’s best at a Grand Slam is the semifinals. Can he break that barrier? He seems ready. He’s in the form of his life. This is the perfect opportunity.

Will Rafa’s dominance continue?

13 titles at Rolland Garros. He’s going for his fifth title in a row. He has only been beaten twice in Paris during his career (2009 by Soderling, 2015 by Djokovic). Once again, he will be the clear favourite. There is a bit of a question mark hanging over his performance.

He won titles in Barcelona and Rome this year. However, he dropped out unexpectedly early in Madrid and Monte Carlo (not enough for Zverev and Rublev). He’s not in perfect form yet.

On the other hand, one thing is known. It is possible to beat Nadal on clay in 2 sets. But to beat Nadal at the French Open? That’s almost a superhuman feat. The Spaniard will save his best for his favourite Grand Slam again.

His motivation is clear. To win another title in Paris and take the lead in the number of grand slams won. Nadal, however, will not have an easy defence. It will definitely be tougher than previous years.

On May 30th, it will begin. The next tennis frenzy begins.

Source: Livesport