Roland Garros, pure intrigue: Djokovic’s thirst for revenge, Nadal’s weakness and Alcaraz with a knife between his teeth

It often happens that over time everything takes on a different dimension. When a person looks back at a situation experienced, a success, a study, a story, that moment enhances its value because it is possible to measure what it really means. But it seems so Tennis has caused a break in this rule that is very typical of the human condition. Everyone, the connoisseurs, the followers and the fans, understands that what is happening now, in every Grand Slam tournament, is really a privilege. It is that we are witnesses of the great history of the sport.

We live in a time that seems unmatched and has three names: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. The three, whatever the order, are the protagonists of an unprecedented battle to become the greatest of all time. And fights and arguments do not end. So far.

The numbers, however, are starting to show a trend. And that gives him emotion, it gives him vertigo, it gives him a seasoning of uncertainty … Because Nadal in Australia was able to take off by taking his th 21 Grand Slam titles, but one Djokovic appeared to have been able to escape difficult moments in the first months of the season, not only because he could not compete in Melbourne but because of everything he had to survive those times of controversy and legal court proceedings.

It took Nole long months to recover emotionally from the situation experienced, the decision made and face it and take responsibility for that decision. His tennis, which has charged him with early defeats or unconvincing performances, especially on clay, has risen to this Roland Garros after adding his 38th title in the Masters 1000 tournaments in Rome. But not only that: the most important thing for this Serbian is that he has shown himself with a tennis and mental fullness that can be seen in his face in the skills of Roland Garros. That sincere and genuine smile, typical of those who feel confident, is the product of self-awareness that they have already achieved the first goal.: come in the best shape in this very special contest. And all of that makes him a big favorite.

The expectations for this Roland Garros 2022 are not only many, but they have many origins. With Federer missing the circuit due to an injury that ruled him out after the last Wimbledon, The race for Grand Slam titles now has Nadal’s health as its main intrigue. The Spaniard already has 13 coronations in Paris and is doing his best to see if he can achieve the impossible again. Because it was not only his 14th title in the French capital -and 22nd in a major-, but also because of it also wins on its own, overcoming its injuries. Injuries that when analyzing need to be simplified by saying that, with the exception of the right shoulder, his body has suffered badly throughout his career and caused enormous difficulty.

Not all of Rafa’s injuries are known, nor the level of discomfort and pain that has only now begun to encourage it to be released. The problems that are already known about his left foot are a daily torture and for him are starting to become a more stressful situation and beyond his sports career or the limitations that can be developed in terms of obtaining new titles. It has to do with the long life that awaits him once he leaves tennis and a body that has been severely abused by very high performance.

This is why the draw is of enormous importance. It has generated attention that is rarely seen because the established structure has been altered in recent months with the explosion of Carlos Alcaraz who, in all he reached just before the age of 19, has emerged as one of the candidates to win the contest. this taking into account the changes of Djokovic and Nadal. The big issue is knowing where they will combine destiny in the painting.

The whims of the opportunity caused the three to go both ways and that the top was joined by, among others, Alexander Zverev. So that part of the draw was left to a number of players making it difficult to infiltrate.

In fact, if the surprises don’t sing in the opening days, Djokovic will have to face Diego Schwartzman in the fourth round. The same for Nadal, who will encounter dangerous Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime at the same time.

However, the most amazing thing that ended up being the chance to resolve is that the number one in the world will face the top winner of this tournament in a hypothetical quarterfinal. A very early crossing between the two giants that won’t end there. Whoever survives, a paradox, could face Alcaraz or Zverev in a semifinal, which must also face an early chance.

This is an example of how cruel the draw is and, perhaps, the need for organizers to think about rethinking the pre-classification system, making history on the slow court-Wimbledon style with grass – more important than cold numbers. of ranking That benefit, for example, Russian Daniil Medvedev, number 2 in the world, with a more useful picture, deserves for his position in the ATP, but not fair for his poor walk in brick dust.

Beyond this little disquisition and return to the game, The most exciting thing about all of this is to go into the head of each of the favorites to understand what they suggest for the next two weeks.. A Djokovic came to Paris wanting to show that he could stand up in any situation and reign on any floor. A Rafa Nadal who wants to overcome his physical difficulties. His face, with clear gestures inviting the interpretation of his feelings, shows him that he came tense, worried and even with a hint of fatigue in terms of tolerance in competing with chronic towing pain.

And with Alcaraz, who will tread the Parisian brick dust with a young impetus of knowing that everyone is waiting to see how he act as a favorite at a Grand Slam, knowing that this will be one of his first major tournaments that he came to that. conditions -He has already played, however, six major tournaments and this will be his third Roland Garros-. Undoubtedly, Murcian wants to show everyone that not only is his game equal, but his courage as well.

They will be very special days. As is already known, the tournament was not won in those first rounds but it can be beaten.

For Argentina it was a contest to mark a new situation. A situation that demonstrates validity and replacement. Since 2009 the RG has had very few participants from these lands. There are 14 in total between men’s singles and doubles. Eleven will play in the individual draw and four of them have slipped through difficult classification beyond the fact that some have won all three games and others have entered with luck among the losers. The fact is that Argentine tennis, even before the tournament starts, can already celebrate.

Swiatek is the clear favorite

The women’s group has a clear favorite. Poland’s Iga Swiatek has won his last 28 matches, taking 42 of the last 43 sets he has played. Moreover, in this streak of 28 consecutive wins he barely gave up five sets. The numbers are really staggering. Perhaps in the fourth round she could have her first big test against Romanian Simona Halep or Latvian Jelena Ostapenko. But his half of the picture, the top one, looks pretty favorable.

Meanwhile, at the bottom, we see the Tunisian Ons Jabeur, who is also having a very good moment and we can say that behind Swiatek he has the most growth in recent months. But there are also many former Grand Slam champions like German Angelique Kerber, British Emma Raducanu, Spanish Garbiñe Muguruza, Belarusian Victoria Azarenka, Czech Barbora Krejcikova and American Sloane Stephens, added to Greek María Sakkari, who always dangerous, and Canadian Leilah Fernandez, who is a Grand Slam finalist.

But the most interesting thing is to study how Swiatek has worked since Roland Garros in 2020 so that this success he is experiencing is the result of a process. He has clearly worked on combining his tennis and emotional structure. He had an unexpected experience in 2020 and he worked in a brilliant way, without pressure and without rushing. Perhaps you have chances that you did not get the best results or the expected results. But that is part of a process to achieve this specific integration. He seems comfortable in this situation of being a hero, being a leader, being number one in the world, of being a favorite. And that’s the product of the whole process he’s gone through since he impressed the world with that conquest of Paris two years ago.