Rafael Nadal: Early Predictions on Rafa's French Open Chances

It's almost time for the French Open, and that means it's time for Rafael Nadal to add another French Open title to his resume. 

Nadal has played in the French Open seven times and, amazingly, has only lost one match.

The Spaniard's sole loss came in the fourth round in 2009 to Robing Soderling. It was clear to all those viewing on that day Nadal was not himself. 

There's no doubt Nadal's movement was greatly hampered by his injured knees in that match. No matter who you are, you need to be moving well to be successful on the red dirt, even Nadal isn't the exception to this rule. 

All of his other experiences at Roland Garros have ended with him hoisting the Coupe des Mousquetaires. 

Nadal's track record at Roland Garros, along with his mastery on the red clay, make him the favorite to win the whole tournament.

He has lost only one match on clay thus far this season, and that was on the blue clay in Madrid that he despises. It's highly unlikely Nadal acknowledges that match as a loss, due to his feelings about the surface. 

Other than that loss, Nadal won titles at both Monte Carlo and Barcelona. In Monte Carlo, he finally got the monkey off his back when he beat Novak Djokovic in straight sets to take the title. 

The importance of his victory over Djokovic cannot be overstated. Tennis is very much a mental game, and Nadal failed to top the Serbian in seven straight tournament finals, including three straight Grand Slam finales. 

The victory over Djokovic should give Nadal the confidence he needs to to defend his crown at the French Open. 

On clay, Nadal's top-spin laden forehand is even more effective, as it gets up even higher on his opponents on red clay. This is something Roger Federer, and the one-handed backhand he employs, has had a difficult time with over the years. 

Nadals' forehand is always a weapon, but on the red clay it becomes the most dominant shot in tennis.

Nadal enters the tournament as the two-time defending champion, and he will dominate anyone not named Djokovic and Federer. Even the latter two will have to play an extraordinary match if they hope to stun the Spaniard on his beloved red dirt. 

The red clay tends to slow down rallies and also causes the ball to bounce higher. Nadal has been so effective on the stuff because it perfectly suits his game. 

He's the master of making the impossible defensive shot look casual. Nadal routinely returns shots that he has no business getting to and zinging out-right winners back at his foe. 

Getting the ball by Nadal on clay often takes a monumental effort, so imagine how hard it must be to win a game against him. It routinely takes three or four quality shots to best Nadal in a single point. That type of excellence is difficult to maintain, especially in the best-of-five format that's employed at the French Open. 

Opponents struggle to hit the ball by Nadal, and is as consistent as they come on clay. He makes very few mistakes from the baseline and never seems out of place on the dirt. 

Rafa is the king of Roland Garros, and is the favorite to leave Paris with another Grand Slam title.