It must be spring time, for Novak Djokovic is in Indian Wells and being asked about his quest to topple the King of Clay at Roland Garros.
It is an annual ritual. As this part of the season approaches, the Serb keeps getting reminded about the only major missing from his CV and his bid to become only the fifth man in the Open era to win all four grand slam titles.
Rod Laver, of course, is the only man in the Open era to win all four majors in a calendar year (1969). The Australian legend had achieved that distinction in 1962 as well, becoming only the second man to do so after Don Budge in 1938.
Andre Agassi, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal also have won the four majors in the Open era, but not in the same year, and Djokovic’s name could have been on that list but for the undisputed king of Court Philippe Chatrier – the man with an eye-popping 66-1 record at Roland Garros – Nadal.
Last year, Djokovic had arrived in Paris with four wins on the trot over Nadal, but lost the final in four sets after winning the first. He was denied by the Spaniard also in the 2012 final. On three other occasions, he was beaten by Nadal in the semis and in their 2006 quarter-final clash, the Serb was forced to retire with an injury after losing the first two sets.
That match, incidentally, was the start of the record-breaking rivalry between Nadal and Djokovic, which currently stands at 42 matches with the nine-time French Open champion leading 23-19 in wins. In grand slam tournaments, they have met on 12 occasions and six of those matches have been at the French Open, where Nadal is 6-0.
The Spaniard, then, has been the biggest obstacle in Djokovic’s bid to join the pantheon of greats, those men who have their names etched on all four grand slam trophies. But if you believe Agassi, Djokovic’s wait could soon be over.
“Before he won Australia I said there’s a heck of a chance we’re going to see the first time since Laver someone win all of them in the same year,” Agassi said last month. “I think he’s really capable of that. He’s playing at a level above everybody at the moment.”
Agassi added if Nadal does not get himself right for Paris then Djokovic could go all the way. “That will be his biggest stumbling block. I will be as excited as anybody to see if Rafa really is going to be vulnerable. It seems that way now, but it’s seemed like that before.”
Last year, Nadal looked really vulnerable arriving in Paris after one of his worst clay-court seasons, losing to David Ferrer (Monte Carlo), Nicolas Almagro (Barcelona) and Djokovic (Rome), but then dropped only two sets on his way to winning the title at Roland Garros.
Since that win, Nadal’s battered body has been making the headlines more than his tennis. The world No 3 is 18-8 since his triumph in Paris last June.
Nadal, however, is one of the greatest fighters the sport has known and Djokovic knows he will “be facing a player who plays every point like a match point” should he find himself up against him.
The Serb then will have to play every point like his legacy depends on it. And it probably does. If he can beat Nadal to win the French Open, he will find a place on one of the most ornate tables in tennis history.
arizvi@thenational.ae
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