The biggest advantage Djokovic and Nadal have over Carlos Alcaraz at the French Open is best-of-five experience: Mats Wilander

Tennis great Mats Wilander believes that the biggest edge Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will have over Carlos Alcaraz at the 2022 French Open is their best-of-five set know-how. The Swede suggested that the young Spaniard may not yet be ready to make his Grand Slam breakthrough due to his lack of experience in the longer format.

Alcaraz will make just his sixth appearance at a Major event at this year's French Open, which begins on Sunday. In his debut Roland Garros campaign last year, the 19-year-old lost in the third round to Jan-Lennard Struff. Alcaraz's best Grand Slam run to date came at last year's US Open, where he beat Stefanos Tsitsipas en route to reaching the quarterfinals.

The World No. 6 is on a 10-match winning streak after claiming both the Barcelona Open and the Madrid Open titles. In Madrid, he became the first player to beat Nadal and Djokovic in the same claycourt event, posting wins over the legendary duo in the quarterfinals and semifinals respectively.

In an interview with Observador, Wilander declared that Alcaraz would be one of the contenders to win Roland Garros if it were decided purely on tennis ability.

"It was fair to think he was one of the candidates if tennis was just hitting balls with a racket," Wilander said. "In five sets, hitting balls with a racket is part of the problem, part of the solution. The surface means a lot but the biggest advantage Novak and Rafa and some of the more experienced tennis players have is the five sets. It's not the clay, the grass or the hardcourts, it's the fact that they know what to expect in a five-set game."

The seven-time Major champion further argued why the greater understanding of best-of-five set tennis that older players have gives them an advantage.

"From knowing how to recover from a five-set game emotionally, from not being physically exhausted after four or five hours, they understand the emotional and physical output they can make," the Swede continued. "They have that ability to understand that they can win that game but that they will have to pay for it in the next round. Tennis players who are good at five sets know how to save themselves and still win the game."

Carlos Alcaraz is in action on the opening day of the 2022 French Open

Carlos Alcaraz practices ahead of the 2022 French Open

Carlos Alcaraz will begin his campaign at the 2022 French Open on Sunday against lucky-loser Juan Ignacio Londero. It will be the Spaniard's first meeting with the World No. 141, who was beaten by Borna Gojo in the final qualifying round.

The 19-year-old will then play either Albert Ramos-Vinolas or Thanasi Kokkinakis in the second round. The Murcian could meet Alexander Zverev in the last eight, before a potential semi-final showdown with Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal. No. 4 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas is the most likely player to reach the final from the bottom half of the draw.

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Also Check Out :- French Open 2022 Results