Rafael Nadal: Drop in Rankings Makes Rafa More Dangerous at French Open

Rafael Nadal has set the bar so high for himself that when he isn't winning every tournament he enters, then questions have to be asked about if he is starting to slip, or if others have started to catch up to him. 

Now, with his world ranking falling all the way down to No. 3, Nadal is trying to get past all the controversy of the blue clay at the Madrid Open, win the Internazionali BNL d'Italia this week and prepare for the French Open, which has become his signature event. 

But while Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer have passed Rafa in the world rankings, his position as the No. 3 player in the world will only make him that much more dangerous on the clay at Roland Garros. 

To his credit, Nadal has said that his focus isn't on world rankings but winning all the events that he enters. 

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Being number two or number three isn't going to change my goal. My goal will be the same, number two, three or number 10. To win you have to beat the best players in the world. The only change is in the semi-finals but it doesn`t make any difference.

"

That is a nice, politically correct quote for Nadal. However, when you are an athlete—particularly one who still plays at an elite level—and you see two of your biggest rivals slide past you in the rankings, it provides a little more motivation to go out and prove that you are still the man. 

Things set up perfectly for Nadal to prove his dominance, as he won the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in 2009 and 2010, and has captured six of the last seven French Open titles. 

Momentum is not going to make a bit of difference for anyone at the French Open. Nadal could lose his next match at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia and still dominate at Roland Garros because he understands the way that court plays. 

Moving to No. 3 in the world rankings only makes him more lethal coming into the event, since all the talk will start with Djokovic, continue with Federer's slow ascent back near the top of the rankings and then you get into Nadal. 

It is rare to see someone like Nadal actually fly under the radar at the French Open. That's OK, because he will just prove his dominance once again when the tournament kicks off on May 27. 

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