Roland-Garros: Rafael Nadal, a status to be debunked

The king of Roland-Garros now has his statue, in stainless steel, 3 meters high and 5 meters wide, inaugurated Thursday in the Parisian enclosure, and still the same status. The steadfast favorite “at home” Porte d'Auteuil. Never in the history of tennis has a player soared over a surface and a tournament. Rafael Nadal is 13 titles at Roland Garros in 16 participations and two small defeats in 102 games. Winner from 2005 to 2008, from 2010 to 2014 then from 2017 to 2020, the Spaniard is seeking a 21st Grand Slam coronation which would allow him to exceed Roger Federer's record. With Stefanos Tsitsipas, the ogre of the earth is the only one to have gleaned two titles this year on ocher (in Barcelona and Rome) before this 2021 edition. In Spain, he saved match points in the final against Tsitsipas and, in Italy,he dropped a set to Novak Djokovic, on the last step, after saving match points in the 8th against Shapovalov. But in the end, it is (almost) always he who wins. The quarterfinals defeats against Andrey Rublev in Monte-Carlo and Alexander Zverev in Madrid sowed a slight doubt, as did his nine sets conceded in his four preparation tournaments. The boss has been jostled, but to bring him down on his land, he will have to be huge.The boss has been jostled, but to bring him down on his land, he will have to be huge.The boss has been jostled, but to bring him down on his land, he will have to be huge.

"A lot of work before the semi-final"

Rafael Nadal

Novak Djokovic has often beaten his great rival, but, at Roland Garros, there is no picture (7 wins to 1 for the Mallorcan). In the cold and humidity during the last edition, exceptionally shifted to the fall, the owner of the place had delivered a capital score in the final by sweeping the Serbian in three sets on a central court yet topped with a roof today -there ... Dominic Thiem, double finalist at the French Open (2018, 2019) seems far from his best level, to bring down the owner of the place. Stefanos Tsitsipas, winner in Monte-Carlo and semi-finalist of the last edition, can play the spoilsport: “I'm quite happy with the way I'm progressing and manage to fight against the best.The 22-year-old Greek remains in the Grand Slam on a victory in five sets against the Mallorcan, in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, after being led in two sets to nothing. But, in Melbourne, Nadal is more "human" than in Paris. Alexander Zverev, winner in Madrid and world number 3 scorer in the Spanish capital, seems to have a few weapons to disturb (a little) the Spaniard in his garden. But Nadal's main enemy will obviously be Nadal, placed in the same part of the table as Djokovic, whom he could find in the last four. "I have a lot of work to do before arriving at this match against Djokovic in the semi-finals," slipped, cautious, the Mallorcan, Friday at a press conference.Nadal is more "human" than in Paris. Alexander Zverev, winner in Madrid and world number 3 scorer in the Spanish capital, seems to have a few weapons to disturb (a little) the Spaniard in his garden. But Nadal's main enemy will obviously be Nadal, placed in the same part of the table as Djokovic, whom he could find in the last four. "I have a lot of work to do before arriving at this match against Djokovic in the semi-finals," slipped, cautious, the Mallorcan, Friday at a press conference.Nadal is more "human" than in Paris. Alexander Zverev, winner in Madrid and world number 3 scorer in the Spanish capital, seems to have a few weapons to disturb (a little) the Spaniard in his garden. But Nadal's main enemy will obviously be Nadal, placed in the same part of the table as Djokovic, whom he could find in the last four. "I have a lot of work to do before arriving at this match against Djokovic in the semi-finals," slipped, cautious, the Mallorcan, Friday at a press conference.that he could find in the last square. "I have a lot of work to do before arriving at this match against Djokovic in the semi-finals," slipped, cautious, the Mallorcan, Friday at a press conference.that he could find in the last square. "I have a lot of work to do before arriving at this match against Djokovic in the semi-finals," slipped, cautious, the Mallorcan, Friday at a press conference.

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