Rafael Nadal does not do conjecture, which is probably just as well. But for the fractured rib that ended his unbeaten start to the season, leaving him short of form, fitness and matches going into Roland Garros, the Spaniard would be a nailed-on favourite for a 14th title on the Parisian clay. Many insist he still is, despite the chronic foot condition that forced him to miss the second half of last season, and which flared up with renewed vengeance in Rome the week before last. The bookmaking fraternity, not noted for getting these things wrong, have him disputing favouritism with Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz.
But while the likes of Alexander Zverev might like to romanticise the Spaniard’s prowess in the 16th arrondissement – “All of a sudden his forehand is just 20 miles an hour faster. He moves lighter on his feet. There is something about this court that makes him play 30% better,” said the German on the eve of the tournament – Nadal prefers to keep his feet firmly on the terre battue. This, after all, is a man who famously dismissed an enquiry about what Nick Kyrgios might achieve in the game if his endeavour matched his talent, with the immortal words, “If, if, if – doesn’t exist.”
It follows that the former champion will look to more practical standards of evaluation as he seeks to gauge his progress since limping out of the Italian Open against Denis Shapovalov. In which case, a commanding 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Jordan Thompson, a moustachioed Australian ranked 82 in the world, should offer cause for encouragement. Nadal’s movement was sharp and free-flowing, enabling him to dance around the ball and whip that familiar fizzing forehand high above Thompson’s shoulders. Winners likewise flowed, 27 in all, and a clean, clinical performance from the baseline was matched by some typically tidy work in the forecourt, where the Spaniard won all but four of his 16 net rushes.
It was all too much for Thompson, who at one point was reduced to leaning on the net post, head bowed in despair. Anyone who has had the misfortune to face Nadal on Court Philippe Chatrier will be familiar with the feeling. The early signs are that Nadal is not losing any sleep over his rare failure to claim a confidence-boosting title on clay in the prelude to Paris.
“Of course the confidence is higher when you win Monte-Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid, or Rome,” said the 35-year-old after claiming his 299th grand slam victory. “When you are winning more matches and more tournaments, you have better confidence. The opponents feels that too, and at the end, you are more used to the level that you need to play to win matches. When this is not the case, things are different.
“But I never expected to be winning 15 Monte-Carlos and Romes, so that’s the situation today. I got injured, and that’s it. What happened is past, and here we are. We are in Roland Garros. I am here to try my best. How is my level of confidence, how things would be if I didn’t get injured, I don’t know. We never know. So I’m not a big fan of thinking about the things that could happen if – ‘if’ is a dangerous word.”
Djokovic, with whom Nadal is slated to cross swords in the quarter-finals, made similarly short work of his opener against Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka. In a contest played at a heightened emotional pitch by the top seed and defending champion, Djokovic weathered some stubborn early resistance from the 99th-ranked Nishioka to ease through 6-3, 6-1, 6-0.
The Serb was in curiously spirited mood, however, given the authoritative nature of his performance, and his triumphalism did little to endear him to the crowd. Djokovic bellowed. The crowd booed. And so Djokovic bellowed even louder. His defiance, in the face of his own dominance, made for a strange spectacle. Yet it also seemed indicative of Djokovic’s determination to reassert his presence on the big stage following the controversy that ended his defence of the Australian Open title before it began.
“I have been feeling very well on clay in the last three, four weeks,” said Djokovic, who completed his preparations for the tournament with a straight-sets victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Rome final. “I’m excited to bring out intensity on the court and compete with the guys. So, look, I’m happy to be back. Roland Garros is one of the biggest tournaments in the world, and the memories from last year still are fresh in my head, in my mind. It was nice to be back on the centre court.”