Novak Djokovic aims for 4th consecutive Grand Slam title

None of the top three men is in action in Paris on Day 1. The schedule includes seven-time major champion Venus Williams in her first Grand Slam match since revealing she was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease; past French Open champions Ana Ivanovic and Svetlana Kuznetsova; reigning U.S. Open champion Sam Stosur; and past U.S. Open title winners Andy Roddick and Juan Martin del Potro.

Djokovic and No. 3 Federer will be on court Monday, while No. 2 Nadal is slated to begin his attempt for a record-breaking seventh French Open title on Tuesday.

“He is always favorite for this tournament. He even was last year,” said Djokovic, who beat Nadal in seven tournament finals in 2011 but lost both clay-court finals they contested against each other this season. “Always No. 1 favorite, because he’s just what he is on clay courts, you know. He’s (the) most successful tennis player ever to play on this surface.”

Federer agreed, saying it’s “crazy to even talk about” anyone other than Nadal as the man to beat. Nadal, who turns 26 during the tournament, is 45-1 for his career at the French Open. The only man to beat him, two-time runner-up Robin Soderling, is not in the field this year.

“I played him so many times here,” Federer said of the Spaniard. “I know how incredible he can be here.”

He is 0-5 against Nadal at Roland Garros, including in the finals of 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2011, when Federer failed to follow up on his masterful semifinal performance that ended Djokovic’s 43-match winning streak.

Federer’s only French Open title was in 2009, when Nadal’s lone loss came in the fourth round. That allowed Federer to complete a career Grand Slam, something Nadal did the following year. Djokovic can be the eighth man to achieve the feat.

To do that, though, Djokovic will need to make it past the French Open semifinals for the first time.

And guess who he was drawn to meet at that stage? Yes, Federer again.

“I had the best year and a half of my career. I believe that I’m at the peak of my career at this moment,” Djokovic said. “I definitely want to use this confidence that I have and try to make a good result here in Roland Garros.”

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