French Open: Novak Djokovic Backs Rafael Nadal To Win Record 15th Title

By: Gyang Dakwo

Novak Djokovic said Rafael Nadal was still a favourite to win the French Open, despite the record 14-time champion struggling for fitness.

Djokovic is tuning up for the second Grand Slam of the year at the Geneva Open this week.

He said if Nadal was in the French Open draw, he could not be ruled out, despite his injury problems and struggles against a younger generation.

“This year is more open,” defending French Open champion Djokovic told reporters at the Parc des Eaux-Vives grounds in Geneva.

“Casper Ruud is surely one of the five players who are candidates to win. You have Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev, Stefanos Tsitsipas – all the players who won a major tournament on this surface this year.

“But when you talk about Roland-Garros and Nadal is there, he is always the biggest favourite for me.

“After everything he has done on the courts at Roland-Garros, it’s normal, respectfully to put him as the biggest favourite.”

World No 1 Djokovic, who turns 37 on Wednesday, took a wild card to play in Geneva in a bid to rescue an alarming drop in form ahead of the title defence in Paris.