Will Djokovic win the French Open? The question is smoking hot at the moment after his Rome Masters title.
The question becomes extra important as Rafa Nadal is yet again suffering from his permanent foot-injury. We of course have Alcaraz, Tsitsipas, Zverev and a few other contenders, but Djokovic seems to be able to handle guys like Tsitsipas and Zverev fairly easily. He might lose a set or even two, but he never seems to lose his confidence. In my estimation, only Alcaraz or Nadal can stop Djokovic from his 21st grand slam title.
Alcaraz did the right thing in taking a week off and not playing Rome. It was a mature decision, likely made together with his team and captain Ferrero. This will give him time to rest and get ready for the gruelling best-of-five sets in Paris. He will likely be in great shape, while it’s more difficutl to predict in what condition Nadal will be. He has been struggling with the same foot problem for all of his career and if you manage to win 21 grand slam titles with a permanent foot injury, you’re doing something right. But does he have the time to heal it before the French Open? It’s reported that he will travel with his doctor to Paris so he can make the best possible decisions in terms of playing and not playing, rehab, recovery and so on.
Djokovic has timed it perfectly
Djokovic wasn’t himself in Madrid, but was in close to peak form in Rome, winning his 6th title in style. This will give him loads of confidence before Paris. If he plays on the level he did in Rome, it’s hard to see even Nadal or Alcaraz stopping him. But they for sure have the potential to.
The draw will be somewhat important in terms of not getting into many brutal matches, but the GOATs seem to have a magical way of distributing and rechanneling their energy over a grand slam tournament. This is what Djokovic has said about timing his form:
