Djokovic comes into Paris riding a 22-match winning streak, winning the Australian Open and four Masters titles. PHOTO: AFP
Djokovic, who turns 28 on Friday, two days before the start of the season’s second major, is the overwhelming favourite to lift the Coupe des Mousquetaires and claim his ninth career Grand Slam title.
Victory would take him alongside Fred Perry, Don Budge, Rod Laver, Roy Emerson, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal as a winner of all four majors.
Djokovic comes into Paris riding a 22-match winning streak, a season which has already seem him capture a fifth Australian Open as well as Masters titles in Indian Wells, Miami and on clay at Monte Carlo and Rome.
However, the Serb has been in this situation before.
In 2011, he entered the French Open as hot favourite but saw a 43-match winning sequence ended by Federer in the semi-finals.
A year later, Djokovic was defeated by Nadal in a four-set final which was completed on the third Monday because of rain.
In 2013, it was the Spaniard who again came out on top, this time in the semi-finals despite Djokovic having led 4-2 in the fifth set.
Twelve months ago, Nadal claimed his ninth title as Djokovic wilted once more in the championship match.
No surprise then to see Djokovic, whose overall 2015 record reads 35 wins and just two losses, trying to contain the hype ahead of his 11th French Open. “I just need to continue preparing myself for that event as I prepare for any other, try to keep the routine going and hope it will take me where I want to be,” he said.
Nadal goes into the French Open with his astonishing record of nine titles, 66 wins and just one loss. But the 28-year-old defending champion has slumped to seven in the world, his lowest ranking since 2005, the year of his maiden Roland Garros title.
World number three Murray has surprisingly emerged as Djokovic’s greatest threat.
After failing to lift a claycourt trophy in 10 years of trying, the Scot suddenly won two in the space of six days in Munich and Madrid.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 22nd, 2015.
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