Can Novak Djokovic finally stop Rafael Nadal at French Open 2021?
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Novak Djokovic has conquered almost every possible battleground in tennis. The Serbian strikes fear into the minds of most tennis players, and has been a world beater in the past decade. Currently ranked number one in the world, Djokovic revolutionized the sport in 2011, by marking his arrival. He won three Grandslams in that incredible year, and gave a glimpse of what was to follow.
Novak Djokovic claimed his 18th major recently at the Australian Open 2021 in February, and is the undisputed king in Melbourne. He has achieved tremendous amount of success at Wimbledon as well, winning the title on five occasions, and has three US Open titles in his bag. However, one major tournament where he often struggles is at the French Open. The Serbian had to wait till 2016 to claim his maiden title on the red Parisian clay, which helped him complete his Career Grandslam.
A story of ‘Being so close, yet so far away’ for Novak Djokovic at French Open
Speaking about Novak Djokovic’s record at French Open, it has been an impressive record, which often seems muted because of just one man- Rafael Nadal. The Serbian has ended as the runner-up in Paris on four occasions in the past- 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2019. Out of his four losses in the final, three of them have come against the King of Clay, Rafael Nadal.
However, Novak Djokovic is just one of the two players who have beaten Nadal in Paris. The Serbian defeated his fierce rival in 2015 in the quarterfinals, when the Spaniard was struggling with injuries and was enduring one of the worst phases of his tennis career.
Rafael Nadal has a dominating record over Novak Djokovic in Paris, and leads the head-to-head by a score-line of 7-1. The Spaniard thrashed the world number in the finals of Roland Garros in straight sets, last year. What made it a embarrassing defeat for the Serbian was the fact that he was bageled in the first set.
After years of wanting to lay his hands on the French Open title, Novak Djokovic reached his promise land, as he defeated Andy Murray in the finals in 2016 in a four set victory.
Can Novak Djokovic dethrone the ‘King of Clay’ in his own backyard?
Novak Djokovic enters the French Open 2021 as the top seed. Fans have been treated to two months of intense clay court action, which will be concluded by the historic Roland Garros. In a major blow to Rafael Nadal, the Spaniard will enter the tournament as the third seed, behind Daniil Medvedev, who will be seeded second.
Novak Djokovic is yet to win a title this clay court season, but showed signs of promise at the Italian Masters 2021. The top seed lost in the third round at Monte Carlo, semifinals in Belgrade, and ended as the runner-up to Rafael Nadal in Rome. One can say that Djokovic is surely not in his best shape prior to the French Open, but he does have another tournament to prepare himself. He will take part in the Belgrade 2 Open this week, to conclude his preparations for the Grandslam.
Novak Djokovic faced Rafael Nadal in the finals of the Italian Open 2021, which can be considered as a potential dress rehearsal before they face off again in Paris. The Serbian put up a gritty display, but was eventually defeated by Nadal in three sets. The world number one scored some impressive victories over Stefanos Tsitsipas and Lorenzo Sonego, as he defeated them in three sets.
How can Novak Djokovic stop Rafael Nadal at French Open 2021?
One thing that stood out for Novak Djokovic in the finals in Rome, was that he forced mistakes out of Rafael Nadal in the second set. This time, the duo can face each other either in the semifinals or the finals. Nadal’s serve has not been the best this clay court season, and Djokovic should aim to extract the most out of Nadal’s second serve, considering that he is one of the better returners of the ball.
We have often seen Rafael Nadal standing way past the baseline when receiving opponent’s serve. The Spaniard makes a deep return, and slowly makes his way towards the baseline. Novak Djokovic must keep the 34-year old farther away from the baseline, which reduces the potency of his forehands, and gives the Serbian an option to use the net area, and play drop shots and volleys.
Also Read: French Open 2021 Qualifiers: Draw, Top seeds, Wild Cards, Schedule, How and Where to watch?
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Nirmit Mehta
(2425 Articles Published)