The second tennis Grand Slam of the season will soon be upon us, as we head to Paris for the 2021 French Open. It will be a relief for many tennis fans to see the tournament back in its original late May/early June slot on the tennis calendar, having been held in October last year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
There’s nothing quite like Paris in the spring, and the French capital has been an especially happy hunting ground for Rafael Nadal over the years. Last year, the Spaniard claimed his 13th French Open title — a hugely impressive figure given the difficulty of winning the sport’s biggest prizes. Nadal has dominated the clay court surface for well over a decade now and is the favourite for the French Open again this year, according to the sports betting odds. The question is, can anyone stop him from making it four in 2021? Let’s take a look at five players bidding to do so.
Novak Djokovic
None will be more motivated to win the French Open this year than Novak Djokovic. The Serbian was comprehensively beaten by Nadal in last year’s Roland Garros final, in what was a strange 2020 for Djokovic, defined by controversy on and off the court. Of course, both men are aiming to eclipse Roger Federer’s total of 20 Grand Slam titles. It would be fantastic to see the two heavyweights square up in the French Open final once again, and you can bet that this time it would be a lot closer.
Roger Federer
Federer has returned to action in recent months after recovering from surgery, and given his supreme class over the years, you can’t rule out the possibility that another Grand Slam title could be on the cards for the Swiss legend. Federer has only won the French Open on one occasion, back in 2009, so you would imagine that the 39-year-old may well have his sights set on doubling his Roland Garros tally before his career is out.
Daniil Medvedev
One of the rising stars of the game is Daniil Medvedev, who will be hoping to lay claim to his maiden Grand Slam title sooner rather than later. The Russian proved his class by winning the ATP Finals in 2020, and backed it up by reaching the final of the Australian Open in January. Medvedev does not boast a good record in the French Open, having failed to progress beyond the first round on every occasion, but given his supreme talent, you’d expect that to change soon.
Dominic Thiem
Austrian Dominic Thiem earned the crowning moment of his career last year by winning the US Open — his first Grand Slam title. Thiem has reached the French Open final on two occasions, but lost out to Nadal in both of the respective showpiece matches. It’s clear that the 27-year-old has the game to perform well on clay and do well at the French Open, and with the confidence of winning his first major title spurring him on, he might well be fancied in the free betting tips this year.
Alexander Zverev
You feel that once Alexander Zverev gets his hands on his first Grand Slam trophy, it will give him the confidence to go on and do great things in the sport. That is easier said than done, of course, and with the greats of the game still going strong, opportunities for players like Zverev are few and far between. He came so close to achieving that first triumph last year, but Thiem denied him with a sensational comeback in the US Open final at Flushing Meadows. Inexperience perhaps cost Zverev that night, but if he gets another chance in a major final, the disappointment of losing so agonisingly in New York may well inspire him to go one better.
