French Open 2012 Predictions: Americans Who Will Represent Well in Paris

The French Open is finally here, and there are several Americans who will play extremely well in the big tournament.

That’s in stark contrast to how Americans have fared in Paris in recent history. The last American man to win was Andre Agassi in 1999. Serena Williams won in 2002.

America may not come away with a victory when the tournament has concluded in Paris this year, but there is a good chance American tennis can take a big step forward.

Traditionally, American players struggle on clay surfaces, while European players such as Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer excel on that surface. If the recent record is any indication, the best Americans can hope for is one of their players to actually come out and compete.

Luckily, there are several American players who will be able to compete this year in Paris. They may not win it all, but they’ll perform much better than those in recent history. Let’s take a look at who will represent well this year:

Andy Roddick

Andy Roddick hasn’t been amazing as of late, and he is coming off a two-month break that saw him attempting to recover from injury.

It’s hard to imagine Roddick has any chance of winning the entire tournament, but he’ll at least be competitive. Roddick isn’t one to play in a tournament without at least being able to be competitive.

Roddick will represent well simply because there aren’t many better American players than him at this point in time.

John Isner

John Isner is far and away the best player America has on the men’s side of things. He’s defeated Roger Federer on clay this year and won against the No. 1 player in the world, Novak Djokovic.

As of late, Isner has been in a bit of a slump. He was unable to win any matches in the Madrid Open, and had an early exit in Rome as well.

Still, it’s important to remember that Isner played well in the French Open last year against Rafael Nadal, a player who happens to be 45-1 at the tournament.

Isner has shown he can be competitive at Roland Garros, and he’s only become a more complete player since the last time he made an appearance there. Among the American men, he is the only hope to go deep in Paris.

Serena Williams

If Isner represents the best chance for an American male to go deep into the tournament, Serena Williams represents the only legitimate shot of an American winning the whole tournament.

Williams is confident heading into the tournament, and believes she can win it all—and she’s correct.

Williams has looked great as of late, and happens to be the last American to win the tournament, albeit a decade ago.

There’s been a recent trend of good events working in Williams’ favor. She defeated the No. 1 player in the world, Victoria Azarenka, in the Madrid Open. She’s now back in the top 10, and appears to be injury-free.

Williams is the best hope America has in the French Open. She’ll undoubtedly be competitive, but she has a real chance at winning it all. For America, that’s the best chance they’ve had in years.

Follow @Chris_Roling.