Russian tennis player Andrey Rublev is predicting that Rafael Nadal will once again win the French Open this year, with his reasoning being the Spaniard’s dominance on clay courts and his record-breaking 14 French Open titles. Rublev’s prediction is shared by other players such as Dominic Thiem, who has been defeated twice by Nadal in the French Open final.
Nadal, however, recently withdrew from the Monte Carlo Masters due to an ongoing hip injury that has kept him out of the game since the Australian Open. In an official statement, Nadal stated that he wasn’t ready to compete without the risk of further injury, and will continue to work on his fitness in the lead-up to the French Open.
Nadal is scheduled to make his comeback at the Barcelona Open on April 17th, followed by appearances at the Madrid Open and Rome Masters in the weeks leading up to the French Open. Tournament director David Ferrer confirmed that Nadal is training intensively and will definitely be playing in Barcelona, although it remains to be seen if he will indeed make his long-awaited return at the tournament.