After crashing out of the 2024 Australian Open, Novak Djokovic named Rafael Nadal as his favorite for the next Grand Slam, the Roland Garros.
Expecting anything in tennis is a bad idea because the sport is so unpredictable. There are so many variables that impact matches, making each one a very unique experience.
Many expected Djokovic to win the 2024 Australian Open, and yet it didn't happen as he was beaten by Jannik Sinner. The loss surprised everybody, including the Serbian, who admitted to being shocked by his level after the match.
After the loss, he was asked about the next Grand Slam, which, however, won't be played until May. The 36-year-old was supposed to name a favourite for the tournament, and he mentioned the player who won the tournament 14 times, Rafael Nadal.
"That's really far away. Let's see how the players play in the next several months, particularly on the clay. It's completely different surface, conditions."
"Some players are probably more favorites than others on clay, just because it's kind of a surface that suits certain type of tennis players. But of course, if Nadal is playing, he's always a favorite there, No. 1, no doubt."
Djokovic is right that Nadal will always be a favorite if healthy because nobody has ever been as dominant as Nadal was in Paris. We know he's coming back in Doha pretty soon, so his injury is not a major scare.
He can be dangerous with good preparation at the ATP 1000 tournaments before the clay-court Slam, but there are other players like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, who can be also dangerous.
"Regardless of the fact that he hasn't played much, but he is who he is in Roland Garros. Of course Alcaraz, Sinner. Anybody that is on the top. I think rankings-wise you can take the first five, ten players in the world, and everyone is a favorite to win. It still takes several months, so let's see how everything evolves."
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