World number one Novak Djokovic says his game is in a good place but he believes Rafael Nadal is still the man to beat at the French Open this month.
Djokovic has tasted glory at Roland Garros on just one occasion and he will be hoping to find the same form that saw him lift the title in 2016.
The 32-year-old won his second title of the year at the Madrid Open earlier this month and also reached the final of the Italian Open last week. Nadal proved too much on that occasion and the Serbian believes the Spaniard is still the man that everyone needs to beat. He told Sky Sports: “He’s the main favourite to win the title.
I think it wouldn’t be fair to pick anybody else because he has won this tournament so many times.
“He has lost, what, two times in his career on Parisian clay? So lots of respect for him, obviously, as always.”
Djokovic and Nadal cannot meet until the final, while Swiss ace Roger Federer also returns to Paris this week. The fan favourite has skipped the clay-court circuit for the last two years but claims he has recovered after withdrawing in Rome due to a leg injury.
“In practice in Switzerland, I felt good right away,” Federer said.
“Very happy where I’m at, to be quite honest. I was a bit surprised that it went as easy as it did.”
Nadal is 1.91 to win the second Grand Slam of the season, Djokovic is 3.50, while Federer is as big as 34.00 to go all the way.
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