Novak Djokovic: Why Clay Courts Are Djoker's Biggest Hurdles

If Novak Djokovic wants to become an all-time great, he must conquer clay courts.

Djokovic is a fantastic player. He's already won five Grand Slams, including three in a row. If he captures the French Open, he will have won all four slams in a 12-month period. That's an incredible feat.

Unfortunately for Djokovic, he has struggled at Roland Garros.

He's reached the semifinals of the tournament three times, but he still hasn't made a final. He's run into some tough competition, but as the No. 1 player in the world, Djokovic doesn't exactly have any more excuses.

Over the past year, Djokovic has asserted himself as the best player in the world. Roger Federer might still have something left in the tank, but don't expect much. Rafael Nadal is still one of the best players in the world, but Djokovic has beaten him seven times since last March (Nadal has two victories).

Djokovic is clearly superior to his competition right now, but he hasn't been able to dominate on clay like he has on hard courts.

Obviously, Djokovic's playing style is better-suited for hard courts, but that doesn't mean he is unable to win on clay. In their last four meetings, Djokovic is 2-2 against Nadal on clay. With that said, the two haven't met at Roland Garros since 2008.

Djokovic can beat Nadal on any surface, but he's never beaten the Spaniard at Roland Garros. If Djoker wants to become an all-time great, he needs to conquer Nadal at the French Open.

Federer struggled at Roland Garros for a decade before he won his only French Open title. He lost to Nadal four straight times before finally capturing the ever-elusive Grand Slam.

Maybe Djokovic will go down a similar path. He's lost in the semifinals at Roland Garros three times, and two of those were to Nadal. In 2006, he also fell to Nadal in the quarterfinals at the French Open.

There's no way of knowing what direction Djokovic's career will go. However, if Djoker doesn't want a smudge on his resume, he must succeed at Roland Garros.

As for Djokovic's competition right now, the court is a bigger hurdle than any player.