By Erik Gudris | Monday, May 19, 2014

 

Has Novak Djokovic, now with four straight wins over Rafael Nadal, figured out what it takes to finally win his first French Open title?

Photo Credit: AP

Here's a fun stat. Either Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal have won the last 10 Italian Opens. In fact, both have faced off against each other in four out of the last six Rome finals. But for a while last week, it almost looked like one, or the other, or even both might not make it that far. Both struggled with themselves and some very tough opponents before they locked eyes on each other. Djokovic walked away with a hard fought three-set win, his fourth victory against Nadal in as many months. But does Djokovic's win make him the slight favorite for Roland Garros? Even with Nadal returning to Paris as an eight-time champion?

Before the clay court swing started, many in the media proclaimed that Djokovic was "obsessed" with winning Roland Garros, the one major title that still eludes him. While Djokovic does really want to win Paris, he's not acting like Ivan Lendl did during his failed quest to win Wimbledon back in the day. For example, Djokovic hasn't taken to wearing only rust orange and green colors that are the signature hues of the event. His most significant change, adding Boris Becker as his main coach, happened at the end of last year. And Becker can't offer any insight as to what it feels like to win Paris since he never accomplished it himself.

The one kernel of knowledge that Djokovic needed to discover was how to beat Nadal. Not that he hadn't done so before. But in yet another momentum swing during their already long rivalry, Djokovic found himself on the losing end of their matches most of last year. That all changed just after the 2013 US Open with Djokovic defeating Nadal in Beijing and London and now this year in Miami and Rome. Four victories on three different surfaces on three different continents against the world No. 1 would boost confidence in any player, no matter who you see applauding your efforts in the friends' box. But now the ultimate test for Djokovic and his recent success awaits.

While Djokovic has entered Paris before as a "co-favorite" or "second favorite," he's doing so this year under very different circumstances. Aside from the many changes in his personal life, he's also still recovering from a wrist issue that, at the moment, appears better but could flare up again. He may also be feeling extra motivation, and possible self-imposed pressure, to win Roland Garros for his native Serbia, which is currently suffering from record floods. Then there's the possibility he could regain the No. 1 ranking based on his results over the French fortnight. How Djokovic absorbs - or doesn't absorb - all of those factors could play a critical role in his chances in Paris.

Despite his success in Rome, Djokovic remains vulnerable, and not only to just Nadal. Several players severely tested him last week, and Djokovic could find himself pushed to the brink in Paris even before he sets up what many feel is an inevitable final Sunday encounter with Nadal. Disappointment has been a recurring theme to Djokovic in Paris. 2011 saw his spectacular winning streak come to an end at the hands of Roger Federer in their semifinal. In 2012, that rain plagued final disrupted Djokovic over two days. Last year, Djokovic left Paris shattered after losing to Nadal 9-7 in the fifth during their marathon semifinal. With the current ATP Tour now more competitive than ever, Djokovic will have to avoid dwelling on a possible Nadal rematch in the final, even though so many will keep reminding him of it throughout his two weeks in Paris.

The French Open has eluded many of the sport's best over the years for many reasons. Over the last decade, Rafael Nadal and his dominance over the event remains one of the sport's supreme achievements. Whether that dominance is coming to an end is still to be determined. In Rome, Djokovic proved again he may have found the solution to defeating Nadal. But the ultimate question, for any player, remains this: "Can you defeat Nadal in best-of-five at Roland Garros?" Only one man has ever done so, and he doesn't play tennis anymore. Djokovic appears to have finally found the answer to that riddle. If he can solve it, then he will finally uncover the missing piece to complete his perfect tennis legacy.