Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, or the field at Roland Garros?

Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer are among the favorites at Roland Garros this year. How do they all stack up?

We recently went through the odds on TOP FIVE FAVORITES IN MEN’S SINGLES AT ROLAND GARROS THIS YEAR. Let’s look more into the comparisons between world number one Novak Djokovic and world number two Rafael Nadal as we prepare for the 2019 French Open. Of course, Rafa is the King of Clay and traditional favorite at the clay court slam.

Should Djokovic be considered the player to beat right now though? The Serbian tennis legend has won three consecutive Grand Slam singles titles. He is on fire when it comes to major tournaments and there’s an argument to be made that he is the favorite.

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Nadal has 11 titles in men’s singles at the French Open. You can even recap every single one of them with us here. That makes Rafa the historical favorite at the clay season’s slam.

This year, however, things could be different. As of writing, sports books still have Nadal ahead of Djokovic in terms of the odds. It’s close though.

Most recently, Djokovic also bested Nadal during the finals at Melbourne Park. Nole claimed the men’s singles title at the 2019 Australian Open, winning in straight sets. The win made it his second straight singles match win over Nadal.

Take a look at the Djokovic-Nadal career head to head HERE. With Djokovic’s recent Australian Open win, he now edges Nadal 28-25 in singles matches.

Rafa won their previous two meetings on clay but, if you notice, Djokovic has seen success against the King of Clay on his favorite surface. This year there may not be a clearcut favorite until the tournament is underway. While we labor over who to choose between Djokovic and Nadal at Roland Garros, there is also… the field.

The other players to watch at the French Open include the likes of Roger Federer, Alexander Zverev, Dominic Thiem, and then even other veteran stars such as John Isner, Gael Monfils, and Milos Raonic. Then, do not discount the several new names in men’s singles we’ve seen from the younger generation.

Dive deeper into the top picks at the upcoming action at Roland Garros here. Can Djokovic continue his incredible Grand Slam singles streak? Can the King of Clay retain his place atop the clay throne? We’ll continue to debate who has the edge all the way up until match point.