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French Open favorites can shift after Monte-Carlo Masters

By Harry Floyd

SEVILLE, SPAIN - DECEMBER 04: Rafael Nadal of Spain plays a backhand to Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina during the third and last day of the final Davis Cup match between Spain and Argentina on December 4, 2011 in Seville, Spain. (Photo by Jasper Juinen/Getty Images)
SEVILLE, SPAIN - DECEMBER 04: Rafael Nadal of Spain plays a backhand to Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina during the third and last day of the final Davis Cup match between Spain and Argentina on December 4, 2011 in Seville, Spain. (Photo by Jasper Juinen/Getty Images) /
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As it stands, Rafael Nadal is the clearcut favorite for the 2018 French Open. Anything can happen though as we approach the Grand Slam.

Action at the Monte-Carlo Masters is seeing several of the sport’s top players face off late in the tournament. The Masters 1000 event has largely been dominated by Nadal, the King of Clay, throughout his entire career. As the top seed, he is once again proving himself dominant at the event, reaching the quarterfinals to meet Dominic Thiem next.

All of the rising stars in the sport, however, are posing a threat. Thiem, David Goffin, Grigor Dimitrov, Alexander Zverev, and Kei Nishikori are all making headlines this week. Nishikori and second seed Marin Cilic may be the most experienced players among the top seeds still in action beyond Nadal. Elsewhere, Richard Gasquet is also into the quarterfinals. A French favorite, he too, has seen success in the past at the French Open and has displayed brilliant tennis on clay.

While Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Cilic may be the favorites for the upcoming Grand Slam, anything can happen right now. A player such as Thiem, in particular, could be someone to watch as we head into the French Open. His matchup with Nadal will be telling as to whether or not he can show up against the world No. 1 on a major stage. The Masters 1000 event may as well be Roland Garros to Nadal. He is a ten-time champion at the Monte-Carlo Masters. Last year at the French Open, Nadal completed La Decima and won his tenth Grand Slam title at Roland Garros.

Next: 2018 French Open Favorites

Rafael Nadal remains the favorite to win the French Open. Play at the 2018 Monte-Carlo Masters, however, is revealing that several rising stars are here to play in the clay court season.

Along with Thiem, Zverev and Dimitrov have been making headlines in the past year. Just behind them is Goffin who previously reached the quarterfinals at the French Open in 2016. Look for action in the coming weeks to hint at who might have the edge in men’s singles tennis. The ATP World Tour is taking a new shape in the middle months as rising stars go head-to-head with veteran greats. Check back to see how the action at the Monte-Carlo Masters and then at the French Open unfolds. Stay tuned to see if Nadal remains the player to beat moving forward.

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