French Open 2018 - Contenders and Pretenders

With the French Open getting underway this week, all eyes would be focused on whether Rafael Nadal can continue to make history on his favorite surface by winning a record 11th title at his favorite hunting ground, especially since his nemesis Roger Federer has withdrawn from all clay competitions this season.

But it might not be a straightforward one for the Spaniard as he is expected to face stiff competition from the likes of second seed Alexander Zverev as well as two-time semi-finalist Dominic Thiem and previous champions Stan Wawrinka (2015) and Novak Djokovic (2016).

The women's draw as always does not have any favourites with current world No.1 Simona Halep hoping lady luck shines on her this time around after her spectacular choke in last year’s final, which she lost to Jelena Ostapenko despite being up a break in both the second and third sets.

She is expected to be challenged by the likes of defending champion, Ostapenko, as well as 2016 champion Garbine Muguruza, Australian Open winner Caroline Wozniacki, recent Rome champion Elina Svitolina and former world number one Karolina Pliskova.

Let’s take a look at the three players who I think are the main contenders and pretenders for the men’s title, starting with none other than Nadal.

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#1 Rafael Nadal (Spain)

Nadal will be gunning for his 11th French Open title this year

Current world ranking: 1

Best Finish : Winner (2005-08, 10-14, 17)

There can only be one favorite for the title when Nadal is playing at the French Open!!

He is the man to beat in this year's tournament without a shadow of doubt as he has made this tournament his playground ever since debuting at the tournament in 2005 winning the title ten times, including three times (2008, 2010 and last year) without dropping a set.

Back to his best after an injury-plagued couple of years, 31-year-old returned to top form last year, also winning his third US Open title and reclaiming the world number one ranking, which he will carry into the second major of 2018.

Nadal’s impressive form throughout the clay court season so far, therefore, makes him the hottest of favourites to take out the French Open, which if he does will see him become the only man or woman in tennis history to win eleven titles at any one major.

Only two men – Robin Soderling in 2009 and Novak Djokovic in 2015 – have been able to take down the King of Clay at Roland Garros, and only the latter has been able to do so in straight sets.

However, I can’t see anyone handing the Spaniard a third loss in the French capital.

#2 Alexander Zverev (Germany)

Alexander Zverev is the second seed in this year's draw

Current world ranking: 3

Best result: Third round (2016)

The German has claimed two titles so far in 2018, including his third Masters title at the Madrid Masters earlier this month.

While Nadal remains the man to beat at Roland Garros, the main rival for his throne is the second seed and current world number three, Alexander Zverev.

However, the Grand Slams remain his Achilles heel as he has not yet reached a quarter-final at a Grand Slam with his best result being reaching the fourth round of Wimbledon last year, where he lost to Milos Raonic and he also lost in the first round of the French Open last year, going down to Spanish veteran Fernando Verdasco.

The German attributes his failures at major tournaments is due to putting too much pressure on himself to perform but this year’s French Open could prove to be his breakthrough.

Last week, Zverev narrowly failed to defend his title in Rome when he went down to Rafael Nadal in the final in three sets; he had led 3-1 in the final set but a rain delay halted his momentum as he suffered his second defeat in a Masters 1000 final.

Despite the loss, the result showed that he could take it up to the Spaniard, having also pushed him to five sets in the third round of last year’s Australian Open.

#3 Dominic Thiem (AUT)

Dominic Thiem has been consistent across all surfaces this season

Current World Ranking: 8

Best result: Semi-finals (2016, 2017)

It was a tough decision leaving out Djokovic from this list, but Thiem had to be on this list he has been the only man to defeat Nadal twice over the past year on his favoured surface.

If there’s one man capable of reaching his first Grand Slam final at Roland Garros, it’s world number eight and two-time French Open semi-finalist Dominic Thiem.

Since his breakthrough at the 2016 tournament, where he lost to eventual champion Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals, the Austrian has been a top-ten mainstay and has been excellent at Roland Garros and maintained a consistent level of performance on the other surfaces.

The victory against Nadal at the Madrid Open in straight sets where he became the first man since himself in Rome last year to defeat the King of Clay on his preferred surface, let alone win a set against him proved his credentials on clay.

He has been responsible for Nadal’s last two losses on clay – but the question is – can he do it on the red courts of Paris?

Also watch out for: Marin Cilic, Grigor Dimitrov, Juan Martin del Potro, Novak Djokovic, Stan Wawrinka.

We now swing over to the women’s side of things, where Jelena Ostapenko will bear the pressure of being the defending champion, having upset hot favourite Simona Halep in last year’s final.

#4 Simona Halep (ROU)

Halep has suffered heartbreaks in each of her three finals

Current World Ranking: 1

Best Result: Final (2014, 2017)

Will it be fourth time lucky for Halep at this year's French Open??

She has fallen prey to being the World No.1 curse, joining the likes of Jelena Jankovic, Caroline Wozniacki and Dinara Safina as people who have been ranked the best player in the world, despite not yet winning a major title.

Despite all this, it must be said that while she has lost each of the three major finals she has contested, each time she has been involved in competitive matches, most notably at the Australian Open earlier this year when she pushed Wozniacki to her absolute limits.

Since then, Halep has suffered from inconsistent results, losing to Naomi Osaka and Agnieszka Radwanska in the semi-finals at Indian Wells and the third round in Miami respectively.

And of the three major lead-up tournaments to the French Open, the only one where she was able to reach the final was in Rome, where she lost to Elina Svitolina in a repeat of last year’s decider.

The question remains – will it be fourth time lucky for Halep, or will she again suffer the ultimate heartbreak in another Grand Slam final?

#5 Caroline Wozniacki (DEN)

Wozniacki has reached the quarter-finals twice at Roland Garros

Current World Ranking: 2

Last year’s result: Quarter-finals

The eternal bridesmaid finally won her first title when she won a gem of a match against Halep in this year's Australian Open over three sets which lasted more than three hours.

This after an ankle injury suffered in the middle of the 2016 season saw her ranking drop to as low as 74th which led to fears that Wozniacki would never return to her previous heights.

But the 27-year-old has not reached a final since, with her best showing coming in Doha where she lost to the eventual champion, Petra Kvitova. Her most recent outing saw her go down to Anett Kontaveit in the quarter-finals of the Italian Open in Rome.

Her record at Roland Garros is also modest, having reached the quarter-finals twice, in 2010 and 2017, losing each time to the eventual champion, Francesca Schiavone and Jelena Ostapenko, respectively.

This will be the first Grand Slam Wozniacki contests as a Grand Slam champion, and it will remain to be seen whether she can adapt to the pressure well.

She is capable of winning the title, but anything beyond the quarter-finals will be a surprise.

Elina Svitolina (UKR)

Elina Svitolina in action at the Beijing Open

Current world ranking: 4

Best result: Quarter-finals (2015, 2017)

The most impressive player in WTA tournaments this year has been Elena Svitolina, the current World No.4.

The Ukrainian has scooped three titles so far, including the season-opening Brisbane International as well as successfully title defences at Dubai and Rome.

The 23-year-old thrashed world number one Simona Halep in the Rome Open final last week for the loss of just four games, all in the second set.

That has made her favouritism for the French Open but she needs to overcome a couple of demons she may want to bury if she is to go all the way and win her maiden Grand Slam title.

Of her three quarter-final losses at the majors, two of them came at Roland Garros, albeit to quality opponents in Ana Ivanovic (2015) and Halep (last year).

She also reached the last eight of the Australian Open earlier this year, but lost to unheralded Belgian Elise Mertens in straight sets.

Perhaps her best chance will come at the French Open, where she is seeded fourth. The Ukrainian has the chance to become world number one following the tournament, if and only if she wins the title.

Also watch out for: Garbine Muguruza, Karolina Pliskova, Jelena Ostapenko, Caroline Garcia, Petra Kvitova, Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka.