“The battle between Djokovic and Nadal for the best in history will depend on how Rafa is”

The former tennis player and current sports commentator Álex Corretja granted an interview to the Serbian media outlet Telegraf to review the news of the world of tennis before Roland Garros, the great event of the season on clay.

Corretja analyzed Djokovic’s condition and believes that, despite his title in Rome, his turning point came at the Belgrade tournament. “I think his return was not in Rome, but in Belgrade. His return to his best level came in his matches against Kecmanovic and Djere. At that moment Novak showed that he was ready for Roland Garros. Despite his defeat in Madrid with Alcaraz, I realized that he was ready. I will not reveal conversations with his coaches, but I was 100 per cent sure that he would win or reach the final in Rome”.

The former Spanish tennis player believes that Djokovic has improved in the way he deals with matches on clay and that makes him one of the favorites to win Roland Garros. “It has been proof that he has found a plan to play on clay and that he is ready to play Roland Garros. He arrives in Paris with a lot of confidence because he is close to his best form.. I’m not saying he won Roland Garros, but I think he understands the game on clay better than before. I’m impressed with it, especially after he retained number one and won trophies and decided to change his game and adapt. It is one of the favorites in Paris.”

Corretja also analyzed how Rafa Nadal arrives at the Parisian tournament after his defeat in Rome due to foot discomfort, and also highlighted Carlos Alcaraz as another great rival for Djokovic. “We don’t know how Rafa will be. If he is healthy, we will have to see what results he achieves in the first week. There is no doubt that he will be a dangerous opponent for everyone because he is Rafa Nadal, the best clay court player of all time. On the other hand, Alcaraz is in a world where everything is perfect. He plays with many variants and has won in Barcelona and Madrid. He has rested two weeks and is hungry again.”

On who is the most favorite for Roland Garros, Corretja believes that Djokovic starts with some advantage due to doubts about how Nadal will reach the tournament. “Everything will be decided if Djokovic and Nadal maintain their consistency or if Alcaraz’s enthusiasm comes to the fore. It is the only thing that remains to be determined in the coming weeks. It’s hard to say who has the best chances… But if you go up the ATP rankings right now, Novak is in a good position and Rafa is the only one with a question mark. Djokovic is in a good position, but I am not sure if we should say that he is the big favorite, because it all depends on how Nadal picks up the pace. Alcaraz should be one step behind them, because he is younger and we don’t know how he will deal with two weeks of tournament and five set matches. Novak still deserves to be favourite”.

On the battle between Nadal and Djokovic to be the best tennis player in history, Corretja believes that it will depend on Nadal’s status, although he believes that the Serbian will end up with more greats than the Spanish. “The battle of the best in history will depend on how Rafa is. The question is whether he will be healthy or not, that makes a big difference for the future. I think Novak has a great chance to win more Grand Slams at the end. Every Grand Slam is a new opportunity for Djokovic. He has shown that he plays well at Wimbledon, the US Open, he loves the Australian Open and will play for them if the opportunity arises.”

However, Corretja leaves the door open for more tennis players to succeed at Roland Garros in addition to the aforementioned Nadal, Djokovic and Alcaraz. “We would also have to talk about Tsitsipas and Zverev. If they reach the quarterfinals, they are very difficult rivals to overcome. Players like Rublev or Rudd are also a difficult obstacle. I wouldn’t want to play against them in the early stages of the tournament, and it is important that you have a good position in the ATP ranking to avoid them. Norrie, De Miñaur, Hurkacz, Sinnery Auger-Aliassime must also be taken into account because they are dangerous. I am not saying that they are going to win Roland Garros, but they are tough rivals”.