The year’s second Grand Slam tournament is now under a week away and there will be many contenders who will look to knock Rafael Nadal off the throne for just the second time ever.
Nine-time champion Nadal is the obvious contender for the French Open, but his form this year has suffered as a result of having missed most of the second half of last year, including the US Open, due to injury.
His recent poor form means for the first time in a very long time, the Spaniard will not start as favourite to win the tournament which he has so long dominated since debuting in 2005.
It will give his closest rivals, namely Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray, their chance to shine in Paris this year.
Let’s now have a look at some of the major contenders for the 2015 French Open.
Novak Djokovic
Current world ranking: 1
French Open history
Best result: Runner-up (2012, 2014)
Last year’s result: Runner-up
Grand Slam results so far in 2015
Australian Open: Champion
Titles so far this year: Australian Open, Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Rome
One man who will be desperate more than most to win Roland Garros this year is world number one Novak Djokovic.
Every year for the last three years, the Serb has made winning the French Open his number one priority, and this year will present him the best possible chance to do just that, given his impressive form so far this year and the struggles currently being endured by nine-times champion Rafael Nadal.
The Djoker has picked up five titles this year, including his fifth Australian Open title, as well as Masters titles at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo and Rome. It is this form which sees him start favourite to finally end his French Open curse.
He will have to also hope that Rafael Nadal doesn’t land in his quarter, or even half, as the Spaniard will be desperate to redeem himself after enduring an unusually poor European clay court swing in recent weeks.
Though Djokovic has beaten Nadal numerous times on clay, the Spaniard has always come out where and when it matters most – in the six matches they have played at Roland Garros, the King of Clay is a perfect 6-0.
If they do meet at some stage this year, then Djokovic will have to be at his absolute best if he is to knock the Spaniard off his perch – which he came very close to doing in that famous semi-final two years ago.
The big question will be: can Novak Djokovic finally win the one Grand Slam title that has eluded him for the last three years, or will the demons of failures past come back to haunt him?
My answer – yes, he can finally get that French Open monkey off his back this year.
Prediction: Champion
Roger Federer
Current world ranking: 2
French Open history
Best result: Champion (2009)
Last year’s result: Fourth round
Grand Slam results so far in 2015
Australian Open: Third round
Titles so far this year: Brisbane, Dubai, Istanbul
World number two Roger Federer continues to prove that he is anything but a spent force in men’s tennis, if his three titles from five finals this year is anything to go by.
The Swiss kicked off 2015 by winning the Brisbane International, during which he notched up his 1,000th ATP career match victory, before suffering his earliest Australian Open exit since 2001 when he lost to Andreas Seppi in the third round.
However, that hasn’t stopped him from continuing to perform well elsewhere, as evidenced by title victories in Dubai and Istanbul on either side of a loss to Novak Djokovic in the final of the Indian Wells Masters in March.
His recent French Open record doesn’t make for good reading, having gone one round worse since losing to Rafael Nadal in the 2011 final. In the last three years, he has lost in the semi-finals, quarter-finals and the fourth round.
He is, however, the only other active former champion after Nadal to have won the French Open, doing so in 2009 to complete the Career Grand Slam which probably would not have happened if Nadal hadn’t lost to Robin Soderling early that year.
Thus, you must never count out Roger Federer as a contender in Paris. You never know what tricks he may produce this year – he might surprise everyone here again, but I don’t expect him to reach the final, let alone win the title.
Prediction: Semi-finals
Andy Murray
Current world ranking: 3
French Open history
Best result: Semi-finals (2011, 2014)
Last year’s result: Semi-finals
Grand Slam results so far in 2015
Australian Open: Runner-up
Titles so far this year: Munich, Madrid
After a poor 2014 season blighted by a back injury, world number three Andy Murray appears to have returned to form this year, and was very impressive during the European clay court swing, picking up titles in Munich and Madrid.
Clay has proven to be the Scot’s worst surface throughout his career, but despite this, his best result at a Grand Slam last year came when he reached the semi-finals of the French Open for a second time, only to cop a humiliating straight-sets drubbing by eventual champion Rafael Nadal.
However, Murray was able to turn the tables on the King of Clay in Madrid recently, defeating him in straight sets for his biggest title since he won Wimbledon in 2013, and for his first win against any of his fellow “Big Four” rivals since then.
Having withdrawn from Rome mid-tournament due to fatigue, Murray will be fresh and raring to go as he bids to replicate his recent good form in Paris, where he is a two-time semi-finalist.
Given his recent good form on clay so far, perhaps this could be the year where he goes one better and reaches the final, and if he ends up facing Rafael Nadal at some stage, then just how far he has come on the surfac will be put to the test.
Prediction: Quarter-finals
Rafael Nadal
Current world ranking: 7
French Open history
Best result: Champion (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014)
Last year’s result: Champion
Grand Slam results so far in 2015
Australian Open: Quarter-finals
Title so far this year: Buenos Aires
Given his poor start to 2015, it’s fair to say that for the first time in a long time, nine-time champion Rafael Nadal will not start outright favourite to win the French Open for a tenth time this year.
For the first time since 2004, Nadal failed to win any of the major European clay court titles, which comprises Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome, all of which are Masters events the Spaniard has dominated over the last decade.
He came closest in Madrid, but suffered a surprise straight sets defeat in the final to Andy Murray, who prior to this year had never won a title on clay, let alone reached a final on the surface.
But if there’s a time where Nadal can prove everyone wrong, it’s right here.
The Spaniard has only ever lost once at Roland Garros since debuting in 2005 and has so many times stopped Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic from completing their Grand Slam sets until the former was able to do it in 2009.
And while Djokovic will start outright favourite to claim this year’s French Open, Nadal will be out to ensure that does not happen in 2015. However, I fear that his dominance at Roland Garros may be just about to come to an end this year.
This is why I have predicted that he won’t win Roland Garros for a tenth time, but I still expect him to be in real contention should he once again make it to the pointy end of the tournament.
Prediction: Final
Other contenders
Some of the other names to watch out for in Paris include those of 2010 semi-finalist Tomas Berdych, former Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka, US Open finalist Kei Nishikori, former finalist David Ferrer and Canada’s Milos Raonic.
Berdych has demonstrated a lot of consistency this year but frustratingly has yet to claim a title so far in 2015 despite reaching three finals, the biggest of which was at the Monte Carlo Masters in April.
The 2010 Wimbledon finalist has otherwise done enough to reach a career high ranking of world number four and that will be his seeding at Roland Garros, where last year he reached the quarter-finals.
Swiss Wawrinka has so far endured an average 2015 season, losing his Australian Open title defence to Novak Djokovic to start the year but was able to clinch his first title of the year at Rotterdam in February.
With only a first round appearance to defend from last year, the Swiss number two will have a huge chance to earn loads of fresh rankings points and thus climb back into the top eight as he seeks to win a second Grand Slam title.
These are just some of the male contenders for this year’s French Open title. Is the end of an era looming for Rafael Nadal? Will Roger Federer and/or Andy Murray spring a surprise? And more interestingly, can Novak Djokovic finally get the monkey off his back and complete his Grand Slam set?
All those and plenty more will be answered when the French Open gets underway this Sunday night (AEST).
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