"Rafael Nadal is the only one with question mark" says Corretja as he previews 2022 Roland Garros

Tuesday, 17 May 2022 at 14:15

Updated at Monday, 09 December 2024 at 14:55

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byErik Virostko

Former ATP World No. 2, Alex Corretja, previewed the upcoming Roland Garros, naming players that could do well in Paris.

Corretja is a former player who knows how it feels to do well on the Parisian clay. However, one thing he doesn't know is how it feels to win the title at Roland Garros, as he played in two finals, in 1998 and 2001, and lost in both.

Now, ahead of the 2022 Roland Garros, the former Spanish player talked to Serbian publication Telegraf, previewing the upcoming edition of the French Open.

Naturally, he named Rafael Nadal as one of the favorites, even though a lot will depend on the Spaniard's health. Of course, he also mentioned another Spanish player, Carlos Alcaraz.

"We don't know what Rafa will be like. 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."

Of course, Corretja was asked also about Novak Djokovic. The Serbian player has enjoyed relative success at Roland Garros as well, and he recognized that Djokovic's chances will be very good.

"It will be decided by whether Djokovic and Nadal will keep their consistency or whether Alcaraz's enthusiasm will come to the fore. 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 and the moment, Novak is in a good position, and Rafa is the only one with a question mark."

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At the same time, Corretja explained that Djokovic can't be called the top and only favorite, given the strong field, but he still deserves the favorite label.

"He 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."

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Corretja also named some players that might disrupt the three main favorites of the event. In particular, he named the likes of Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev, but also Andrey Rublev and Casper Ruud.

"One must always think seriously about Tsitsipas and Zverev. They reach the quarterfinals and are very difficult to get around. There are also guys like Rublev and Ruud, they are also a difficult obstacle."

"You don't want to play against them in the early stages of the tournament, it's important that you have a strong position on the ATP list in order to avoid them."

"Norrie, De Minaur, Hurkacz, Sinner, Auger-Aliassime must also be mentioned... They are dangerous. I'm not saying they will win the French Open, but they are tough opponents."