Following a start of the year to forget, the probability of Novak Djokovic now competing in the 2022 French Open looks to be growing by the day.
Front and centre to the problems the Serbian faced in January was Djokovic’s refusal to have the COVID 19 vaccine and he was subsequently barred from the Australian Open and deported from Australia, against the back drop of much furore.
In his absence, Rafael Nadal rolled back the years to clinch his second Australian Open title and in doing so, became the only male tennis player in history to have won 21 Grand Slam titles.
However, the COVID landscape looks to be finally changing across the world and the severity of the pandemic is certainly at the lowest ebb it has been since it rocked the universe two years ago.
Consequently, the need to be vaccinated is becoming less and less the world over, with the possibility of competing in the French Open without having taken the jab seemingly growing.
The vaccination status of many players in the world is believed to be disclosed but the intrigue around Djokovic’s withdrawal from the Australian Open inevitably adds scrutiny to any decision the Serb makes moving forward.
He is one man that has had the better of Nadal previously in Grand Slams and at +500 with sportsbooks current offers, Tsitsipas looks one of the best outside bets on the market.
On the court, Djokovic has also lost his world number one status too, with Daniil Medvedev getting just rewards for his consistency over the past couple of seasons to climb to the top of the rankings.
With all this in mind, Djokovic will be eager to make up ground at Roland Garros, both in the race for the world number one spot but arguably more importantly, to catch up with Nadal in the hunt for Grand Slam titles.
Another of his great rivals Roger Federer is likely to miss out in Paris once more through injury, leaving Djokovic trailing by just one title to Nadal, in what could be a pivotal season for all three men in the hunt for the ‘Greatest of all Time’ tag.
For Novak Djokovic, his record at the French Open is solid enough, winning the title twice and he will be out to find form, with Wimbledon and the US Open on the horizon too.
At 3.50 to win the 2022 French Open, Djokovic will certainly be in the mix and if there are no vaccine requirements to play, he looks a very good bet to go all the way at Roland Garros.
No player has ever dominated a Grand Slam in the way Rafael Nadal has bossed the French Open, with 13 of his 21 major triumphs coming on the hallowed clay in Paris and he is once again the man to beat in 2022.
His record at Roland Garros is remarkable, having played 108 matches – winning 105 and losing just 3, he is always the man to beat at the French Open and his newly acquired added status as the best player to have ever played the game, only adds more spice to the narrative.
Whether Federer and/or Djokovic are in attendance at the French Open generally remains immaterial, Nadal is 2.20 to win a 14th French Open title and on current form, he could take some stopping.
Two-time French Open finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas is the man for the big occasion, and he tends to play his best stuff in every clay court tournament he enters.
Winning a Grand Slam is next on the achievement list for the Greek superstar, who has been sitting on the periphery at the very top of the game for a few seasons now.
