The French Open has a build-up unlike the other Slams. It takes time, even for the best in the business, to adjust to the slow and slippery clay after playing on hard courts for the first three months of the year. April onwards, leading up to Roland-Garros, the ATP Tour had scheduled seven 250 (Houston, Marrakech, Estoril, Munich, Banja Luka, Geneva, Lyon), one 500 (Barcelona) and three Masters 1000 (Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome) events this year.
The pertinent question
However, the conversation regarding the clay Major had begun in January itself when Rafael Nadal, defending Australian Open champion, went down 4-6, 4-6, 5-7 to USA’s Mackenzie “Mackie” McDonald in the second round in Melbourne while also sustaining a hip injury — will he make it to Paris, the city where he has lifted the coveted La Coupe des Mousquetaires trophy a record 14 times?
