Rafael Nadal

Carlos Alcaraz (L) and Coco Gauff (R) are two of the contenders to lift the French Open title. (Getty Images/AP) For many years, the French Open had a predictability attached to it. For better or for worse, Rafael Nadalin the men’s field and Iga Swiatek in the women’s field were the safe bets. Both had stellar records to justify that billing. Nadal won 14 titles at Roland Garros (2005-2008; 2010-2014; 2017-2020; 2022) while Swiatek triumphed four years in a row (2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024).The Spaniard has dominated the red clay more than any one in the history of the sport and a 112-4 record is a clear indication of it. Still not convinced? The 14 times he reached the final, he won them all.Swiatek’s reign has been for a shorter time period and yet has been equally impressive with four titles in five years, including the last three. Among the active players, she has the best win percentage at Roland Garros (35-2; 94.6%) and triumphed in 2020 without dropping a set.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Now, as the French Open begins on May 25, things are not as crystal clear cut. 38-year-old Nadal has retired and will be on Philippe Chatrier Court only for a farewell ceremony on Sunday. He bowed out last year with his injury-hampered body not co-operating to the grind of the sport anymore. His final French Open appearance was a defeat to Alexander Zverev and Roland Garros adieu came a few weeks later at the Paris Olympics, losing to Novak Djokovic in singles, followed by doubles alongside Carlos Alcaraz.“There’s … 20 different people that you wouldn’t be surprised if they end up winning the tournament,” said USA’s Madison Keys, whose first major trophy came at the Australian Open in January. “Part of it is because we’ve kind of lost some of our legends, obviously. Like, there’s no longer Serena Williams in every draw, where you just assume she’s going to win.”Poland’s Swiatek took over that mantle from Serena, at least in Paris, for the past five years. That cannot be said this time around.Ever since clinching the title last year, she’s not reached a final let alone win a tournament. The fifth seed has had a less than flattering claycourt swing in preparation. She lost in the quarterfinals of Stuttgart, was hammered with a double breadstick by Coco Gauff in Madrid and an equally dismal show against Danielle Collins in Rome.Off the court, Swiatek has had an equally trying time. In a doping case, Swiatek was essentially cleared but did serve an oddly timed suspension.That brings us to the ‘D’ word which has gripped the sport more than on-court tennis. Swiatek now down to World No. 5 – trailing Aryna Sabalenka, Gauff, Jessica Pegula and Jasmine Paolini – and men’s World No. 1 Jannik Sinner have both been punished in different and equally peculiar ways. The Italian served a three-month ban earlier this year despite being cleared of wrongdoing by the sport’s governing body.After winning the Australian Open, Sinner reached a deal with the World Anti-Doping Agency, which appealed against the 23-year-old’s exoneration. It meant he won his third major title in Melbourne, went into a three-month hiatus, only to return for the Italian Open in Rome where he finished runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz.Alcaraz was asked about the complexity of the doping world, taking Max Purcell’s ban as an example, which he said “sounded like Chinese”. But what doesn’t sound like a foreign language is the desire to win a fifth major and second in a row in Paris. His muscle issues in both legs seemed to have become a thing of the past if the Rome final was any indication. Yet, despite his similarities and wish to pick up the mantle from Nadal, he is not a lock-in like his idol.That brings us to other contenders such as three-time major finalist Alexander Zverev, including making the last-four at Roland Garros in the last four straight editions. The inconsistent German’s best showing in the tune-up events was the title in Munich.Speaking of titles, Novak Djokovic, seeking his 25th major once again, clinched his 100th ATP trophy in Geneva, joining a list that is led by Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer. His first title since winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics last year only faintly masks his three-match losing streak before it.“Kind of [a] new reality for me, I have to say. You know, trying to win a match or two, not really thinking about getting far in the tournament. It’s a completely different feeling from what I had in 20-plus years of professional tennis, so it’s kind of a challenge for me, mentally, to really face these kinds of sensations on the court, going out early now, regularly,” Djokovic said after an opening exit in Madrid.“But that’s, I guess, the circle of life and the career. Eventually, it was going to happen. … Grand Slams is where I really want to play the best tennis,” he added. “I’m not sure if I’ll be able to do that in Roland-Garros, but I’ll do my best.”On the women’s side, the field is open amid Swiatek’s unprecedented slump. The variety of tune-up champions tells the story – Jessica Pegula (Charleston), Jelena Ostapenko (Stuttgart), Aryna Sabalenka (Madrid) and Jasmine Paolini (Rome). Paolini became the eighth different player to reach a WTA 1000 final this season before pocketing her biggest career title.Sabalenka briefly dropped off from her best form after a surprise Australian Open final loss to Madison Keys before bouncing back with the Miami and Madrid Open titles.“I got really hungry and angry — angry in a good way and I think at the end, the Australian Open final pushed me to work even harder,” she told the WTA.“(It) kind of explained to me that you have to really work hard in finals and you have to earn your victories. It was a good push for me.”Coco Gauff’s first final appearances in…