French Open Preview 2009: Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, or Novak Djokovic?

It's the 2009 French Open Grand Slam, and tennis's greats line up for two weeks of top quality clay court action. Can the unstoppable Rafael Nadal set a new record of five straight title wins at Roland Garros, or will Roger Federer continue from his good form at the Madrid Masters and upset the undisputed King of Clay?

Rafael Nadal

World No. 1 Rafael Nadal is 21-1 on clay this year, picking up the Monte-Carlo, Barcelona and Rome titles in succession. The 22-year-old—who will be celebrating his 23rd birthday next week during the latter stages of the tournament—will make new tennis history if he is victorious at Roland Garros this year, being the first ever player to win five successive French Open titles.

But does trouble loom on the horizon for the Spaniard, who was denied a second Madrid Masters title last week after posting his first clay court loss of the season at the hands of Roger Federer?

Roger Federer

Roger Federer is still chasing his first ever French Open title—the only Grand Slam that has eluded the former World No. 1—and the 27-year-old Swiss champion could not have come into the tournament on a higher note.

After a disappointing beginning to his clay season, with a loss in the second round of the Monte-Carlo Masters and a loss in the final of ATP Rome to Novak Djokovic, Federer reached the final of the Madrid Masters to face Rafael Nadal.

With Rafael Nadal going into yet another encounter between the two rivals as the favourite to win, Federer shocked everyone—Nadal included—with a straight-sets 6-4 6-4 victory.

After this momentous victory, can Roger Federer carry the belief in himself necessary to dethrone Nadal in Paris, or will there be another waiting in the wings to claim the clay crown?

Novak Djokovic

With Andy Murray defeated in the quarter finals and second round of his two most recent clay tournaments, Novak Djokovic may perhaps be the only other player apart from Federer who has what it takes to challenge Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros.

Unfortunately for Nole, he's already met Rafael Nadal three times in the last five weeks and lost all three meetings. However, Djokovic did manage to take a set in two of their three meetings, the only player (apart from Federer in Madrid) to take any sets from the Spaniard this year on clay.

If Djokovic meets Federer in the semifinals, he holds perhaps his greatest chance to date of posting a victory over the former World No. 1 at Roland Garros, and then the 22-year-old Serb may hold the best chance of any player at all to overcome the unstoppable Rafa.

Prediction

Once again in Paris, the onus will fall on Rafael Nadal as to who will triumph in the year's premier clay tournament. Nadal has shown that, at his best, no other player can come close to touching him on the red surface.

Therefore, it will likely come down to whether Rafael Nadal will play at the top of his game in Roland Garros to create even more tennis history. And time and time again, Nadal has proven that he always rises to the occasion when there is the most at stake.

So we are set to witness yet another Nadal triumph at Roland Garros, in the awe-inspiring and overpowering way in which we have become accustomed, with Rafa brushing aside his talented opponents with apparent ease. The top bookmakers agree, having placed Rafael Nadal as the overwhelming favourite to win the tournament.

Whether it be Federer or Djokovic that he meets in the final—yet another interesting subplot of this year's tournament—all the signs point towards another seemingly comfortable Nadal grand slam victory, and yet more accolades for the World Number One.

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