Burning Questions for Top Male Tennis Players Before the 2015 French Open
A month remains until the French Open, but there's still plenty to be decided during these crucial next few weeks.
At the summit of the game stands Novak Djokovic, the uncontested No. 1 player in the world. Will anyone keep him from achieving the most elusive title of his career?
One man able to solve the Djokovic riddle is Rafael Nadal, who's seeking to rebound from a rocky start to the season. But can the King of Clay recapture his old magic in time?
Their Big Four brethren, Roger Federer and Andy Murray, have faced their own on-court struggles recently and face doubts heading into the year's second Grand Slam.
Elsewhere, Tomas Berdych has seen his stock rise, but will he continue that surge when it matters most? And can Milos Raonic and Stan Wawrinka shake off their own issues, or are they destined for a swift exit in Paris?
Here is a deeper look at several of the top-10 players on the ATP World Tour and the burning questions hovering over them as the road to Roland Garros heats up. With each shot they strike, the answers will become clearer.
Which Stan Wawrinka Will Show Up?
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Stan Wawrinka seems to alternate between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde every time he steps on the court.
There's good Wawrinka—the guy who won the Australian Open, Monte Carlo and Davis Cup in 2014—and then there's bad Wawrinka, the one who has failed to win more than one match at each of his last four tournaments.
Last week in Monte Carlo, Wawrinka bottomed out during a lackadaisical 6-1, 6-2 third-round loss to Grigor Dimitrov. He didn't even look like he wanted to be on the court.
So will the world No. 10 recapture the form that led him to early-season titles in Chennai and Rotterdam, or will he continue his slump?
Wawrinka recently announced he'd separated from his partner of 10 years. That factor alone had to weigh heavily on him the last few weeks, and he's surely in a complicated emotional state at the moment. As he works to find stability away from the game, he'll have to bring more focus to Madrid and Rome than he did to Monte Carlo.
If he can't get back on track soon, the Swiss player will be headed toward more discouraging results.
Was Tomas Berdych's Monte Carlo Run a Sign of Things to Come or a Mirage?
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Tomas Berdych played like a dangerous man in Monte Carlo.
At his hometown event, the Czech stormed to the final without dropping a set. His most impressive display came in his 6-1, 6-4 dismantling of Gael Monfils in the semifinals.
Against world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the championship match, Berdych more than held his own. He secured an early break to start the match and pushed the Serbian from the baseline. Though he eventually relinquished his lead, Berdych bounced back to force a deciding set.
Djokovic held off the challenge in the end, but it was still an eye-opening performance for Berdych. He matched wits with Djokovic and began showing off new elements to his game.
Even as he approaches his 30th birthday, Berdych keeps improving. He's built a stellar 27-7 record so far in 2015, and the world No. 7 has reached the quarterfinals or better in every tournament he's played, including finals appearances in Doha, Rotterdam and Monte Carlo.
With the help of his new coach Dani Vallverdu, Berdych has taken a step forward this year. Yet he's still searching for a title. If he plays like he did against Djokovic in Monte Carlo, he may not have to wait much longer.
To make sure that performance wasn't an outlier, Berdych will look to continue his run in Madrid and Rome. His results there will determine whether or not he can be considered a legitimate contender in Paris.
How Healthy Is Milos Raonic?
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When Milos Raonic outlasted Rafael Nadal at Indian Wells last month, it looked like a turning point in the 24-year-old's career.
Though he lost to Roger Federer in his next match and departed Miami in the fourth round, the Canadian had high hopes for the clay-court campaign. With the win over Nadal, Raonic put together another encouraging result to go with his blossoming game.
And then Monte Carlo happened.
After pulling through his first two matches against Joao Sousa and Tommy Robredo, he set up a quarterfinal clash with Tomas Berdych. But the duel of the tall hitters ended abruptly in the first set when Raonic retired because of a foot injury.
The Canadian has worked tirelessly on improving his movement over the last year, and this situation has to be concerning for him. It could be something he just needs to rest, but there's always the potential for a foot injury to linger.
He's already withdrawn from Barcelona to give himself time to recover. Now, Raonic will work to get healthy for Madrid and Rome. If he's still hindered physically over the next few weeks, he'll be in danger of an early departure from the French Open.
What Kind of Form Will Andy Murray Bring to Roland Garros?
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Andy Murray came close to winning the first three big events of the 2015 season. Each time, one man crushed his dreams.
The Scot reached the finals in Australia and Miami earlier this year, as well as the semifinals at Indian Wells. Those results have guided him to a 21-5 record and the No. 3 ranking. Yet no matter how well he played in those particular tournaments, it wasn't enough to stop Djokovic.
In each of those head-to-head meetings, it's Djokovic who's outlasted and outhit the more physically imposing Murray. As their matches stretch on, Murray has seemed to wilt under the pressure. Stomaching deciding-set bagels in Australia and Miami hasn't been easy for Murray.
As he turns his focus to clay—his weakest surface—the Scot will have to put those losses to Djokovic behind him. But does he have enough time to shape his game before the French Open?
Murray skipped Monte Carlo because he had bigger things on his agenda: a hometown wedding to his longtime girlfriend. With those festivities over, he'll have to make up for lost time to get ready for Paris.
To further help himself prepare for important events next month, Murray added Munich to his schedule. With no other top-10 players competing there, he'll be the favorite to win his first career clay-court event.
But the true litmus test will be in Madrid and Rome. How Murray competes against Djokovic, Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal at those tournaments will provide a big clue about his chances at Roland Garros.
Is Roger Federer Still Capable of Being a Threat on Clay?
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Nothing brings out the best in Roger Federer like a fast hard court or the pristine lawns of Wimbledon. On clay, however, it's a different story.
While the Swiss player won the French Open in 2009 and has reached four other finals in Paris, he's been bounced from the tournament in disappointing fashion each of the last three years. And it's no coincidence the only Masters Series events he hasn't won (Monte Carlo and Rome) have come on the dirt.
The slower style of play produced by clay courts has never accentuated Federer's attacking style like other surfaces do. In recent years, this factor has made him vulnerable against powerful baseline hitters.
That trend resurfaced again in Monte Carlo last week when Federer suffered a straight-sets loss to Gael Monfils in the fourth round. Against the Frenchman, Federer played one of his sloppiest matches in months, spraying the ball and wasting opportunities in crucial moments.
So where does he go from here?
Despite the Monfils defeat, Federer remained optimistic about his clay-court forecast, dismissing the match as just an early setback in his transition to the surface. But he knows the road ahead won't be easy.
Federer will have at least two more tournaments (Istanbul and Madrid) to work out the kinks in his game ahead of the French Open. He's been non-committal about playing Rome, which he may drop for extra training.
If he can't put together better results in Istanbul and Madrid, doubts about Federer's clay-court relevance will only magnify.
Can Rafael Nadal Regain Momentum?
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Rafael Nadal's inauspicious start to the 2015 season may have finally turned for the better in Monte Carlo.
Nothing brings out the best in the Spaniard like the clay.
Granted, he lost 6-3, 6-3 to Novak Djokovic in the semifinals. But that scoreline doesn't accurately reflect the competitive nature of the match. Nadal engaged Djokovic in one breathtaking rally after another, showing glimpses of his old prowess.
Though he fell to the Serbian in straight sets, Nadal categorized the performance as a step forward. After months of uneven play, he began to show flashes of his old brilliance. Nadal even notched his first top-10 win in nearly a year after taking out David Ferrer in the quarterfinals.
A long list of injuries derailed Nadal's 2014 campaign and led him to a sluggish start this season. Like he so often does, however, the Spaniard has found an extra gear on the dirt. And that metamorphosis comes at an ideal time for Nadal.
Slated to play Barcelona, Madrid and Rome, Nadal has three more tournaments to build momentum before the French Open, where he'll look to extend his five-year reign. Defending his crown this time around will be his toughest task yet, but based off his form in Monte Carlo, Nadal's best tennis may be just around the corner.
Will Novak Djokovic Position Himself as the Favorite in Paris?
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Novak Djokovic isn't just the top tennis player in the world, he may be the most dominant athlete in any sport.
The Serbian resides in his own stratosphere right now after conquering Monte Carlo, becoming the only man to ever win the first three Masters Series events in a season. Dating back to October, Djokovic has claimed each of the last six big events (Paris, World Tour Finals, Australian Open, Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo).
He's authoring his own definitions of dominance and perfection.
With a 30-2 record this year and a current 17-match winning streak, Djokovic looks as close to invincible as any player has in recent memory. But when it matters most, will he be able to win the prize that has eluded him for so long?
Djokovic has made clear his main goal is to win the French Open. It's the only major that stands between him and a career Slam. Yet the specter of Nadal looms enormous.
Nadal has ended Djokovic's Roland Garros dream each of the last three years, including the 2012 and 2014 finals. But the Serbian earned a crucial psychological boost by taking out Nadal in Monte Carlo last week, a victory that will only enforce his soaring confidence.
Beating Nadal in Paris is a different story, however. For Djokovic to accomplish that goal and further mark his place in history, he'll need to carry his current form to Madrid and Rome, where he'll likely square off with Nadal once again.
If Djokovic plays like he did in Monte Carlo, he may finally be ready to dethrone the King of Clay.
All statistics are courtesy of ATPWorldTour.com unless otherwise noted.
Joe Kennard is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
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