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French Open 2019: Men's Final Start Time, Schedule, Prediction and Prize Money
June 9, 2019
Rafael Nadal will have to get past Dominic Thiem to win his 12th French Open title on Sunday, when the men's final will be played on the legendary Court Philippe-Chatrier.
The Spaniard booked his spot in the final with a routine win over Roger Federer on Friday, while Thiem outlasted Novak Djokovic in a five-set epic that finished on Saturday.
Per the event's official website, the prize for the winner will be €2.3 million (roughly $2.6 million). The final will start after the the women's doubles final and not before 3 p.m. local time (2 p.m. BST/9 a.m. ET).
Nadal has been in exceptional form in what has long been his best Grand Slam, evidenced by what amounted to an easy three-set win over Federer in the semi-finals:
Federer had been cruising along himself, but he had no answers against Nadal, who once again underlined his status as the King of the Clay. The 33-year-old is nearly untouchable on the surface and has been especially great in the French capital:
Thiem has become something of a specialist on the surface himself, and all four of his wins over Nadal have come on clay. That includes a two-set semi-final triumph in Barcelona earlier this year, where he ended up winning the tournament without dropping a set.
The Austrian's best performance in a Grand Slam came in Paris last year, when he advanced to the final. The 25-year-old couldn't win a set off Nadal in that match, however, as the latter won his 11th title.
His preparation for the rematch did not go smoothly, as he needed five sets over the course of two days to get past Djokovic. Their semi-final was suspended twice on Friday because of rain and heavy winds, and there were more delays on Saturday.
While Thiem was waiting for his chance and battling when he got it, Nadal was able to relax:
His fresher legs should be a major advantage on Sunday, especially on the slower clay. The surface requires plenty of quick movements and tends to serve up longer rallies, favouring the fresher player.
Thiem has made strides since last year, evidenced by his great showing in Barcelona, but Nadal always seems to rise to the occasion in Paris and had an extra day to rest. He's in a great position to continue his dominance of Roland-Garros, providing the weather doesn't play up yet again.
Prediction: Nadal wins in four sets.