"It will be decided by whether Djokovic and Nadal keep their consistency or whether Alcaraz's enthusiasm comes to the fore" - Alex Corretja on French Open favorites
Tennis commentator and former player Alex Corretja has analyzed the chances of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz at the upcoming 2022 French Open. The former World No. 2 believes Alcaraz should be placed "a little below" the legendary duo because of the gulf in best-of-five-sets match experience.
Djokovic is the defending Roland Garros champion, having defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in five sets in the 2021 final. The World No. 1 downed the same opponent 6-0, 7-6(5) to secure the title at last week's Italian Open, his first tournament victory this year.
Nadal was forced to miss the Monte-Carlo Masters and Barcelona Open in April due to the rib injury he suffered at the Indian Wells Masters in March. The World No. 5 was beaten by Alcaraz in the quarterfinals at the Madrid Open on his return to action earlier this month.
The 13-time French Open winner then exited the Italian Open in the last 16 after struggling with his chronic foot issue in a three-set loss to Denis Shapovalov. World No. 6 Alcaraz, meanwhile, heads into Roland Garros on a 10-match winning streak, having claimed back-to-back titles in Barcelona and Madrid.
In an interview with Telegraf, Corretja discussed the prospects of the three players who are widely considered the three favorites to win the Paris Major.
"We don't know what Rafa will be like," Corretja said. "If he is healthy, we will still have to see what results he will have in the first week. There is no doubt that he will be a dangerous opponent to everyone, because that is Rafael Nadal, the best player of all time on clay. On the other hand, Alcaraz is in a world where everything is perfect. He plays great with many variations, he took Barcelona and Madrid. He rested for a couple of weeks and is now hungry."
"It will be decided by whether Djokovic and Nadal will keep their consistency or whether Alcaraz's enthusiasm will come to the fore," the Spaniard continued. "That is the only thing that should be unpacked in the coming weeks. It's difficult to say who has the best chances. If you look at the ATP list at the moment, Novak is in a good position, and Rafa is the only one with a question mark."
Corretja then suggested that Djokovic should be considered the current favorite due to his form, as well as uncertainty over Nadal's fitness.
"He (Djokovic) is in a great position before coming to the tournament. I'm not sure if I should call him the exclusive favorite, because it depends on whether Nadal will get into his rhythm. Alcaraz should be placed a little below them, because he is younger and we don't know how he will cope with two weeks of play and five-set matches. Novak still deserves credit to be the favorite, as we speak."
"I was one hundred percent sure Novak Djokovic would reach the final or win the title in Rome" - Alex Corretja
Alex Corretja has also revealed that he was certain Novak Djokovic would at least reach the final at last week's Italian Open after speaking to the Serb's coaches.
"It wasn't Rome, we have to go back to Belgrade," Corretja said. "I think he rose in Belgrade. That was the turning point in his season, when he came back against [Miomir] Kecmanovic and [Laslo] Djere. That is the moment when Novak showed me that he is ready for the French Open. Despite the defeat in Madrid by Alcaraz, I realized that he was ready. I don't want to reveal private conversations with his coaches, but I was one hundred percent sure that he would reach the final or win the title in Rome."
The Spaniard also discussed why he feels the 20-time Grand Slam champion is in great shape to contend for the French Open title.
"Rome is just proof that he has found a way to play on clay and that he will be ready for the French Open," Corretja added. "He is coming to Paris with great confidence because he is very close to his best form. I'm not saying that he has to win the French Open, but I think he understands the game on clay better now than before. I am impressed that, after retaining the first place [in the rankings] and winning so many trophies, he changes his game and adapts in that way. He is definitely one of the favorites in Paris."
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