No player has ever dominated a Grand Slam like Rafael Nadal has in the French Open. With 13 French Open titles to his name, his record on the claycourts of Paris are unprecedented.
Nadal’s records in Paris speak for themselves. 13 titles in 16 appearances (pulled out in 2016 due to injury), the Spaniard holds a 100-2 in the French Open. And after winning his 10th title in Rome last week, he will fancy his chances once again.
With only a week before the second Grand Slam of the year, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga spoke in a press conference at the Lyon Open this week.
The former 2008 Australian Open runner-up described Nadal as the “inevitable favourite” to win his 14th French Open title.
“Today, there is no one who doubts that he is the inevitable favorite. You ask all the players, even those who are able to beat him today, they think he is the favourite. There is no doubt, he has won thirteen times in fifteen years, it’s just out of the ordinary. If there is one favourite, it’s Rafael Nadal.”
The Frenchman continued, “Both, whether Novak and Rafael, on the tournament in Rome, still put the church a bit back in the middle of the village. They showed that there was still a bit of margin and that they were still the favourites for the Grand Slams.”
Rafael Nadal is the favorite heading into the French Open
PARIS, FRANCE – OCTOBER 11: Rafael Nadal won his 13th French Open title in 2020. (Photo by Popperfoto via Getty Images)
In a best of five on clay, there are not many who can go head-to-head against Nadal. The World no. 3 has suffered only two defeats in Paris till date. One to Robin Soderling in 2009 and then to Novak Djokovic in 2015.
When Nadal suffered a straight sets defeat to Djokovic in 2015 and had to pull out in 2016 due to a wrist injury, many believed that his domination in Paris had finally come to an end. But the Spaniard bounced back to win every French Open title since 2017, including last year when he won the title without dropping a single set.
At 34 (Will turn 35 during the French Open), Rafael Nadal will once again be the favorite to lift his 14th French Open and 21st Grand Slam title.
