Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are the top2 favorites to conquer the upcoming French Open. However, while many regard the Spaniard as the top pick, according to 7-times slam champion Mats Wilander, it’s Novak Djokovic to be in pole position.
The Serbian had indeed a good run in Rome where he won the title without playing his best tennis. On the other side, Nadal was shocked by Diego Schwartzman in the quarters when he lost in straight sets.
Why Djokovic is the favorite to win the Roland Garros
Talking to the PA, Wilander commented:
“I think the field has a much better chance this year than any year I can remember since Rafa started winning. It’s a huge, huge difference for Rafa. This is a huge challenge for him and he’s going to be praying for some kind of Indian summer. For Novak, I think it’s perfect. Novak nearly beat him that time when it was rainy [that was back in 2012].”
About the other players, Wilander added:
“But even the field, I think the hard-court players are going to do better because it’s not as slippery when it’s a little wetter and colder, the balls don’t spin as much.”
What Djokovic thinks about who is the favorite
Novak Djokovic is obviously not happy to say that he is the favorite to conquer the French slam. Soon after his recent triumph in Rome, the Serbian legend confirmed that Nadal is still the favorite in Paris. However, he had to admit that this year there are some openings as Diego Schwartzman exposed the fact that when the balls are not bouncing that high, Nadal definitely loses an edge. Therefore, since the conditions in September are meant to be much heavier than the ones in May and June when the Roland Garros is normally played, some other players can have an advantage.
Novak commented:
“Night session, under the lights, as I said, a little bit less bounce, so I don’t know, you know, I’m pretty sure that he [Nadal] does not prefer that to high bounce.
I know he likes the high bounce. He likes the hot and warm and fast conditions where he can use his spin a lot. So, yeah, let’s see. It’s going to be interesting. I think even though he’s the No. 1 favorite, I think there are players that can win against him there. It’s obviously best-of-5, so you’ve got to be really fit to be able to achieve that.”
The Coronavirus concerns
Besides the debate about who is the favorite to win the French Open, the slam will be heavily affected by the Coronavirus pandemic. Already 6 players were withdrawn from the qualifications because they have either been tested positive or been in close contact with positive people. Damir Dzumhur was shocked after he learned that he couldn’t play the Roland Garros after testing negative because his coach was positive.
We just wonder what will happen if someone close to a top player will test positive. This could completely change the dynamics of the entire event.
Rafael Nadal in 2020
Now the world no.2, Rafael played his last match on the 19th of September when he lost to Diego Schwartzman 6-2 7-5 in the quarter in Rome.
Currently, this year Nadal has a 15-4 win-loss record. The Spaniard has won 1 title in Acapulco.
Novak Djokovic in 2020
Ranked world no.1, the Serbian played his last match on the 21st of September when he beat Diego Schwartzman 7-5 6-3 in the final in Rome to win his 81st career title.
This year Djokovic has a 31-1 win-loss record. The Serbian conquered 4 titles in 2020 at the Australian Open, in Dubai, in New York and in Rome.
Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic played each other 55 times. The head to head is 29-26 for Djokovic. The last time that they played each other, Novak Djokovic won 6-2 7-64 in the final in Brisbane, Perth, Sydney (ATP Cup) on the 12th of January 2020.
