Former Australian tennis player Lleyton Hewitt feels defending champion Rafael Nadal will have a tough time at the French Open this year. (Getty Images)
Two-time Grand Slam winner and former Australian Lleyton Hewitt believes that two players – Novak Djokovic and Dominic Thiem can beat defending champion Rafael Nadal at the French Open this year.
Hewitt, the 2001 US Open and 2002 Wimbledon champion, has reached the summit clash of all the three Majors except the French Open, where he never got past the quarterfinals.
The retired former professional feels that Nadal, a champion of the clay court, with a record 12 French Open titles, will face one of the toughest battles to retain his crown this year with two realistic contenders waiting in contention.
“Novak Djokovic can now absolutely win in Paris. You have got to throw in both the finalists from the Australian Open,” Hewitt said.
“Dominic Thiem is going to be a real threat at Roland Garros as well.
“But Novak, the way that he moves and slides on clay, he has won there before, he is so strong over five sets, he is always going to be a threat.
“You would have to say right now the two [Australian Open] finalists and Rafael Nadal are the three favourites for Roland Garros.”
Despite whatever Hewitt has said, Nadal still has a strong lead against both Djokovic and Thiem at the French Open.
Nadal’s mere statistics depict his clear domination in the clay courts at Roland Garros, with the Spaniard having a strong 6-1 lead against Djokovic. Meanwhile, Thiem is yet to find a way to defeat the ‘King of Clay’, who has a 4-0 record against him in Paris.
Thiem, an upcoming star and also a clay-court specialist, has, however, been Nadal’s opponent in the final at Roland Garros in the last two years.
