Is #NextGenATP's Jaume Munar the most likely man to lead Spanish tennis into the 2020s and become the nation's greatest hope when Rafael Nadal eventually steps aside (hopefully many years from now)? Maybe. One thing we do know: Munar will try to channel his best Rafa impersonation against Nadal's great rival, Novak Djokovic, Wednesday at Roland Garros as second-round action begins. Munar earned his first Grand Slam victory on Monday, coming back from two sets down to beat Spanish tennis icon David Ferrer. The 21-year-old Barcelona resident called it “the most important victory” of his career. Next for Munar: 2016 champion Djokovic. Welcome to the big league, Jaume. [ALSO LIKE] Djokovic has looked much more like his old self during...
Watch as Novak Djokovic defeats Rogerio Dutra Silva in straight sets to record his 60th win at Roland Garros. Video courtesy of Roland Garros. Photo credit: Peter Staples/ATP World Tour.
Novak Djokovic lost the first two games in both the first and second sets on Tuesday against Rogerio Dutra Silva, but experienced no further problems in victory at Roland Garros. On a sweltering day two in south-west Paris, 2016 champion Djokovic recorded his 60th match win at the Grand Slam championship (60-12) with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory over the Brazilian qualifier in two hours and five minutes on Philippe-Chatrier Court. It was their first FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting since the 2012 US Open. “I'm starting to play better,” said Djokovic. “I feel like, in the past couple of weeks, [I’ve] not been thinking about the elbow [and] playing pain-free, which is the most important thing at the moment… I...
Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka – winners of 12 of the past 13 Roland Garros titles – all will be in action on Monday as first-round play continues in Paris. The top-seeded Nadal commences another attempt at history this fortnight. The Spaniard is trying to become the first man – and only the second player – in history to win 11 singles titles at any Grand Slam tournament. Australian Margaret Court won the Australian Open 11 times, including six before the Open Era began in April 1968 (1960-66, 1969-1971, 1973). Nadal meets a familiar opponent on Court Philippe-Chatrier in Italian Simone Bolelli. The two have faced off five times in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, and Nadal has...
Let's start here: No one is predicting Rafael Nadal will lose at Roland Garros. The Spaniard is a 10-time champion at the clay-court Grand Slam and, at times this year, the 31-year-old has looked better than ever on clay. Before losing to Dominic Thiem in the Mutua Madrid Open quarter-finals on 11 May, Nadal had clay-court winning streaks of 50 sets – an Open Era record – and 21 matches. But legends do stumble. So if, on the off chance that Nadal has a bad day in Paris, who might have a chance at challenging him? We present six who could trouble Rafa on la terre battue. [ALSO LIKE] Keep in mind, however, these six – Alexander Zverev, Dominic Thiem,...
