Rafael Nadal: Analyzing Rafa's Biggest Challengers En Route to French Open Final

As a six-time French Open winner, it is no surprise that Rafael Nadal is once again the favorite at Roland Garros this year. Rafa has been extremely impressive thus far on the red clay and he hasn't shown any signs of slowing down. The road to a possible final matchup with either Novak Djokovic or Roger Federer won't be an easy one, though.

Nadal will have to go through several capable competitors, and even if he does survive the gauntlet, there is no telling how much he will have left in the tank. Nadal has won the title six out of the past seven years in Paris, so it is going to take a super-human effort from somebody in order to knock off the Spaniard this year.

Here are three players who will challenge Rafa most as he seeks to reach the French Open final yet again and win his seventh tournament crown.

Juan Monaco

Should Nadal get past the third round as expected, his next match is likely to be against Argentinian Juan Monaco. Although Monaco has never surpassed the fourth round in a French Open, he is a very tough customer on clay. South American players are generally very comfortable on clay, and that is the case with Monaco. Perhaps no player has ever ruled the roost on clay quite like Nadal, but he isn't bulletproof.

Monaco is a crafty player in his own right who slides well, uses angles to his advantage and gets good spin on his shots as well. Nadal will obviously enter the match as a heavy favorite, but Monaco isn't a player he will simply be able to brush off. He is going to be a very good test for Rafa, and while I would expect Nadal to come out on top, I wouldn't be surprised to see Monaco take a set at the very least.

Janko Tipsarevic

Most believe that if anyone is going to beat Nadal in this tournament, it is going to have to be Djokovic or Federer. If you take an overview of the draw, however, one possible dark-horse candidate is Janko Tipsarevic. The Serbian star has ascended to a career-high singles ranking of No. 8 and is poised for his best showing at the French Open. Tipsarevic seems to be a likely foe for Nadal in the quarters and the result could be a surprising one.

The main issue is that Tipsarevic is maddeningly inconsistent, but when he is on he can beat essentially anyone on tour. When Nadal was unable to win the French in 2009, he was eliminated by Robin Soderling. The Swede featured a monstrous, flat forehand that gave Rafa trouble. Tipsarevic is very similar in that regard, so if he can keep his errors down, then he stands a chance to upset perhaps the greatest clay court player ever.

Andy Murray

Clay may be his worst surface, but no matter where he is playing, word No. 4 Andy Murray is a very tough customer. If Nadal is able to get to the semis, then the Scotsman is likely to be the gatekeeper between Nadal and the final round. Murray is still searching for his first Grand Slam title, but he is certainly a complete player who moves extremely well and has a very powerful stroke. If he can put it all together, then Murray has the tools to beat Nadal.

Murray has been dealing with a back issue that could limit him, but he is going to give Nadal all he can handle regardless. If Rafa is able to survive Tipsarevic, he may be a beat weary since the Serb promises to put him through the paces. Murray is a master when it comes to shot placement, so he is going to make Nadal move plenty as well. Murray is always the forgotten man amongst the big four, but he would be forgotten no longer with a win over Rafa.

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