French Open 2011: Is This Novak Djokovic's Tournament to Prove He's the Best?

On September 13, 2010, Rafael Nadal walked out of Arthur Ashe Stadium knowing he was the best tennis player in the world.

He had just won the US Open—his ninth overall slam—dropping only one set in the final to Novak Djokovic.

He had just won three consecutive slams, one on each surface, and asserted himself as the undisputed number one. He had just done something few others had done.

There were many people who didn't want Rafa to be the best, but only one man did something about it.

Djokovic has dominated 2011, going undefeated in over 30 games. He has come out harder, better, faster, stronger with every aspect of his game. His footwork has been spectacular, and he has let nothing by him. At the same time, the Serb has added power and precision to his groundstrokes, making them almost unstoppable.

Novak has defeated Federer thrice, as well as beating up on Nadal four times (at Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, and Rome.) The most spectacular thing about his record against Rafa is that two of those victories were on clay, where Nadal was considered invincible.

However, there is still some doubt about whether Novak is really the best. Some say that he is, but others consider him a one-shot wonder; that he will soon peter out.

How can he show everyone if he really is the best?

If Djokovic can come to Roland Garros, essentially Nadal's lair, where he has won five times already and can dethrone the King of Clay, that would help his bid.

Novak is already the best on hard, but if he can show that he is better than Rafa on Rafa's surface, it would be huge. Wimbledon is less important (but not unimportant) because you can be considered No. 1 without dominating all surfaces. For example, Federer was considered the best player in the world in 2007-2008, despite Nadal consistently winning on clay.

However, the important thing was that Roger was the best on grass and on hard, which gave him the title of number one.

Can Novak prove himself to be the real deal and Roland Garros?