French Open 2015: Top Stars and Storylines to Follow at Roland Garros
The usual faces headline the 2015 French Open, which commences this Sunday at Roland Garros.
Heading into the year's second major, all eyes will lock on to tennis' A-list superstars. Rafael Nadal will look to continue his tournament dominance, but Novak Djokovic is primed to halt, or at least pause, his nemesis' remarkable run.
Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova also enter the tournament as contrasting favorites. While Sharapova has developed into a top competitor on clay courts, Williams must avenge an ugly 2014 showing to win her 20th career Grand Slam.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Top Storylines
Is Rafael Nadal's Clay-Court Dominance Over?
No athlete owns an event the way Nadal owns the French Open. The Spanish star has won the last five titles at Roland Garros, giving him nine total victories throughout the past 10 years.
So there's no use wasting time prognosticating the men's bracket, right? Typically the runaway favorite, Nadal has created doubt by coming up empty in his last four tournaments on clay courts.
| Rome | Stan Wawrinka (6-7(7), 2-6) | QF |
| Madrid | Andy Murray (3-6, 2-6) | F |
| Barcelona | Fabio Fognini (4-6, 4-7(6)) | R16 |
| Monte Carlo | Novak Djokovic (3-6, 3-6) | SF |
The 28-year-old has dropped to a No. 7 world ranking, giving him a tougher road to the finals. Yet Roger Federer, who captured the decade's lone title not seized by Nadal, still views the King of Clay as the favorite.
“Regardless of what anyone says to me he's the favorite,” Federer said, per Tennis.com's Kamakshi Tandon. “The guy’s only lost once in 10 years.”
History is certainly on his side, but recent results don't bode as well for a sixth consecutive victory. As his clay aura fades, his top competitors have dominated on his preferred surface this year, according to the New York Times' Christopher Clarey:
Never discount Nadal at the French Open, but it's reasonable to view his rival as this year's man to beat.
Will Novak Djokovic Snap French Open Drought?
Djokovic is still searching for his first French Open title to complete his career Grand Slam. Eliminated by Nadal in each of the past three years, the world's top-ranked man enters Roland Garros in top form.
In April, Djokovic bested Nadal during the semifinals at Monte Carlo, conquering his foe on clay. Earlier this month, he flew past Kei Nishikori, David Ferrer and Federer in Rome, solidifying his top rank with another clay victory.
After extending his winning streak to 22 matches at Rome, Djokovic looked ahead to the French Open, via the Associated Press' Andrew Dampf.
"I don't think I need to go and do anything more special for Roland Garros," Djokovic said. "I just need to keep going on (this) route."
This presents his best chance in a while to finally yank the French Open monkey off his back. With the two stars trending in opposite directions, Djokovic looks to end Nadal's reign of terror.
Another Williams-Sharapova Final?
Earlier this year, Sharapova and Williams met for the fourth major final. Williams—who holds a forceful 17-2 overall head-to-head advantage, via WTATennis.com—emerged victorious.
Two years removed from Williams topping Sharapova at Roland Garros, they're again on a collision course for a grand finale.
While no Nadal, Sharapova has morphed into a strong clay contestant, appearing in the last three French Open finals with two titles to show for it. The 28-year-old has transformed a former weakness into a renown strength.
"A surface that was so tough for her in the beginning, she's really become so much more comfortable," analyst Mary Joe Fernandez told espnW.com's Nick McCarvel. "She's added shots to her game. She's using the drop shot more effectively now. For someone who hasn't been known for feel, she actually is having some good touch."
Williams is the bigger question mark in establishing another showdown. Even with two French Open crowns, it proves her worst major venue by far. Last year, she suffered an unceremonious second-round exit to Garbine Muguruza.
Yet she remains the top-ranked star pursuing her 20th Grand Slam title. After withdrawing from the Italian Open, Williams is rested and locked in for a longer run this time.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
