Dominating French Open Start Proves This Is Still Novak Djokovic's Title to Lose
At the start of this French Open, things feel a bit different than they have over the past decade.
Nine-time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal is no longer the man expected to walk away with the trophy. Instead, the title of favorite belongs to world No. 1 Novak Djokovic. And rightly so.
Djokovic is 36-2 on the season, with five huge titles under his belt: the Australian Open, Miami Open, BNP Paribas Open, Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters and, most recently, the Internazionali BNL d'Italia. He already has 13 top-10 wins on the year, including one over Nadal, two over Roger Federer and three over Andy Murray.
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Most importantly, as he showcased in his first-round win over former top-20 player Jarkko Nieminen, he is a man on a mission.
Djokovic came into Paris on a 22-match winning streak, and the eight-time Grand Slam champion extended that to 23 after defeating Nieminen 6-2, 7-5, 6-2 on Tuesday.
If the Serb, who is seeking his first French Open title and career Slam, was feeling any pressure with the weight of championship expectations on his shoulders, he didn't show it—at least not for long. He recovered from a brief lull in the second set to win the next nine games in a row.
"Djokovic ... began and ended the match with trademark assurance, dictating the play against an opponent who at times looked bewildered by the power and variety of the top seed’s all-court game," wrote Les Roopanarine of the Guardian.
Like all champions, Djokovic has the ability to take his game to the next level when he's in trouble.
His ability to do just that on Tuesday was more than assuring for anyone backing him for the title. He's not taking anyone lightly.
The biggest difference between this Djokovic and past versions of the Serb is how confident and calm he is with himself.
This year has frequently been compared to 2011, when Djokovic came into Roland Garros undefeated and many thought he could take the title—particularly after he upset Nadal twice that clay-court season. Djokovic didn't even make it to the final that year, instead falling to an inspired and finger-wagging Federer in the semis.
However, I don't think that's a fair comparison. Back in 2011, Djokovic had only won two Slams. He had never been world No. 1. Being a supremely fit, consistent player was still new to him.
He might have been playing the best tennis of his life, but he wasn't nearly as strong mentally as he is now, four years, six majors and 148 weeks at No. 1 later.
He's also a husband and father now, proving he has grown up in every aspect of his life.
"I feel like today I am more mature as a person, I have grown, I have improved, I have learned how to deal with my emotions better. Overall I’m a stronger player, physically and mentally as well," he told Dan Levy of FRANCE 24 before the French Open began.
Of course, no matter how serene this grown-up version of Djokovic is, it's not all about him. At least not yet, this early in the tournament.
The man who has stopped him short of winning Roland Garros in the past three years, Nadal, looms in the quarterfinals.
Nadal also started off his campaign on Tuesday, albeit against a much lesser opponent than Nieminen in 18-year-old French wild card Quentin Halys. Halys showed signs of his future promise in the match, but Nadal's steadiness and power were just too much and he won 6-3, 6-3, 6-4.
Still, while the Spaniard is likely thrilled to be through to the next round, nothing about his performance in the first round will make him forget about his struggles this season.
He was good but not great. Powerful but not dominating. It was more than enough for a wild card, but will it be enough to get his 10th Roland Garros title in two weeks? That remains to be seen, but right now it's doubtful.
All year long, the 14-time Slam champion has simply not looked like himself. His best form seems so close—it's just around the corner—and yet there's a block, be it mental or physical, keeping Nadal from getting back there.
Meanwhile, Djokovic's top form is just at the tip of his fingers, ready to be summoned whenever he finds his back against a wall.
Many things can happen in a fortnight, and as we've seen many times in tennis over the past few years, matchups that seem like a sure thing—such as a Federer vs. Djokovic showdown in last year's U.S. Open Final—often turn into something else entirely, like, say, Kei Nishikori vs. Marin Cilic.
But while nothing in tennis over the last decade has been as sure a thing as Nadal being the last man standing at Roland Garros, nothing in tennis this year has been as sure a thing as Djokovic winning when it matters the most.
Their respective first-round performances did nothing to assuage my belief that, this year, the latter will prevail over the former.
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