The first round of the 2019 French Open (Roland Garros) begins on Sunday, which means it is time for me to list my 10 things to look for. If you have not yet taken a peek at the draw, click here to check it out.
#1. Can Alexander Zverev make a deep run? One of the things I'll be curious to see is if Alexander Zverev can build on his run to the quarterfinals last year (the furthest he's gone in a grand slam). Ranked #5 in the world, Zverev is a guy that should have made at least one grand slam semifinal by now, so it does seem like he's due for one anytime now. If you're going to pick a place for him to finally break through, what better place than Roland Garros? I don't like to put the heat on guys, but Zverev should be feeling a lot of pressure going into this tournament.
#2. Can Naomi Osaka win her third straight grand slam? Naomi Osaka has turned a new leaf since her last time out at Roland Garros (3rd round exit in 2018). She's won the 2018 US Open and 2019 Australian Open, which means she's gunning for an "Osaka Slam" right now. The big question mark going into this event and the rest of the season is how she'll do now that she's split with her coach Sascha Bajin, with whom she won both of her grand slam titles. Personally, I don't expect Osaka to win the tournament just because clay hasn't been her best surface. If she can prove me wrong and win it all, she'll be on one of the greatest runs in modern tennis history.
#3. Roger Federer is back! The last time Roger Federer played at Roland Garros was 2015, where he made a run to the quarterfinals. He skipped the event in 2016, 2017, and 2018 to rest and get himself ready for Wimbledon. This time, he's deciding to return to the dirt and see if he can perhaps win a second title in Paris. He played his first clay tournament in three years at the Madrid Open earlier this year, where he fell in the quarterfinals to Dominic Thiem. He had a similar result at the Italian Open in Rome, falling to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarterfinals due to a right leg injury. These recent results don't suggest he'll be much of a contender, but all the same it's fun to have him back. It makes things more interesting at the very least.
#4. Can Serena Williams get back in the winner's circle? I'm confident that Serena Williams has more grand slams to win, but whether or not she'll win another one at Roland Garros is a big question mark. Relative to the other grand slams, Roland Garros has proven to be a tough event for Serena. She's won it three times (2002, 2013, and 2015) and plays an aggressive style that the dirt doesn't always reward. Seeded 10th, I think Serena has to be considered a contender, but I don't expect her to come out victorious.
#5. Can Novak Djokovic take down Rafael Nadal? Novak Djokovic comes in as the #1 ranked player in the world and viewed by many as the biggest threat to Rafael Nadal's quest for a 12th Roland Garros title. He's beaten Nadal at Roland Garros before (2015) and has one Roland Garros title under his belt (2016), so the hype is definitely warranted. I got my money on Nadal to win it all, but if there's anyone that he should be concerned about it's definitely "The Joker."
#6. Can Simona Halep defend her title? Simona Halep finds herself in a position she's never been in before: Defending champion at a grand slam. After years of seeking her first grand slam title, she finally broke through at the 2018 French Open. Now, the question is can she defend her crown and start to establish some dominance in Paris.
#7. Can Dominic Thiem go the distance? In last year's French Open final, Dominic Thiem fell to Rafael Nadal 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 in the final. He's been eying this tournament all year long and is eager to prove he can win it all in Paris. While Djokovic is the biggest threat to Nadal in my eyes, Thiem is right there behind him. His run to the final last year was impressive and with more experience under his belt, it's not crazy to think this could be the year Thiem wins his first of what is expected to be several Roland Garros titles.
#8. Does Jelena Ostapenko have any magic left? Jelena Ostapenko has had a very interesting tennis career thus far. In 2017, she won her first grand slam title at the French Open right before her 20th birthday. Since then, she has fallen off the map relative to her expectations. She hasn't won a grand slam title since and lost in the first round of the 2018 French Open, doing a terrible job at defending her title. Currently ranked #40 in the world, it'll be interesting if she can make a deep run this year and get herself back in the Top 25. When discussing contenders at this year's French Open, it would be foolish to rule her out given her success just two years ago.
#9. Look for Rafael Nadal to win his 12th Roland Garros title: So long as Rafael Nadal continues to breath air and play on tour, I will pick him to win the French Open every time. His dominance at this event is simply ridiculous. The only thing that can stand in his way is health. If he's able to stay healthy and not get worn down by the event, he'll win it all again. He is without question the greatest clay court tennis player of all-time and deserves to be the heavy favorite.
#10. Look for Karolina Pliskova to win her first grand slam title: Picking the winner of the women's singles tournament at Roland Garros is a really difficult task. In the last five years, we've seen five different champions (Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, Garbiñe Muguruza, Jelena Ostapenko, and Simona Halep). So it really is anybody's guess of as to who will in it. If there's one thing that we can bank on, it's probably going to be someone who has never won it before, which is why I'm rolling with Karolina Pliskova. She's the #2 ranked player in the world and has found some success on the dirt, reaching the semifinals at Roland Garros back in 2017. If there's a player that fits the profile of what type of winner we should expect on the women's side, Pliskova fits as much as anyone.
#11. David Ferrer will be missed: David Ferrer retired at the Madrid Open earlier this year as opposed to playing one more Roland Garros. While he never won a grand slam title, Ferrer had an amazing career, reaching the 2013 French Open final and the semifinals at five additional grand slams (Australian Open in 2011 and 2013, French Open in 2012, and the US Open in 2007 and 2012).
Ferrer should be not be defined by what he didn't accomplish, but rather by what he did accomplish. Listed at 5'9", Ferrer overcame his lack of physical tools to get ranked as high as #3 in the world and embodied a fighting spirit that every athlete should strive to have. I certainly hope he gets inducted into the tennis hall of fame. He deserves it.
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