John McEnroe Reveals the Major Hindrances Rafael Nadal Will Face at French Open 2020

Published 09/26/2020, 8:01 AM EDT

French Open 2020 is almost upon us and like always, Rafael Nadal goes in as a huge favorite. The Spaniard is looking to clinch his 13th French Open title. Tennis legend John McEnroe gave his insights on what could trouble Nadal in achieving his goal.

In this year’s French Open, a few matches will be played at night. And so, McEnroe indicated that cooler conditions in Paris could trouble Nadal. Also, the American veteran predicted that the ball will bounce lower than what Nadal likes and so he could be troubled.

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“Usually in Paris, it cools off and it gets a little bit chilly at night and it depends on the scheduling. I’m sure that Rafa won’t be suggesting he plays a lot of night matches and I don’t know how that’s going to play out. Obviously, the weather is very unpredictable but presumably, in the autumn, the balls are not going to jump up as much as it normally does which will make life more difficult,” McEnroe said.

John McEnroe feels the door is open to succeed Rafael Nadal at French Open 2020

He also expects Nadal’s form on the red dirt to drop. The pandemic has brought in some uncertainty, which has convinced McEnroe that the door is open for a new champ.

“Also, the law of averages I suppose – Rafa’s won it 12 times so you would think at some point he’ll cool off a little bit and not be able to produce as amazingly as he has so I think the door is open, particularly since this crazy pandemic has been going on.”

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McEnroe also said he is expecting a strong challenge from Dominic Thiem for the French Open title.

“Nadal and Novak Djokovic are clearly the favorites, but I think Dominic Thiem is obviously the third guy, there’s no doubt about it.”

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Dominic Thiem and Novak Djokovic are the players in top form, with the Austrian winning the US Open 2020. Nadal hasn’t lost a match at the French Open since 2015, so it will be interesting to see if he can resist a title charge from his rivals this time.

Dominic Thiem Joins Rafael Nadal to Express Disappointment With New Balls at French Open 2020

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Bhavishya Mittal is a tennis author for EssentiallySports, who is currently pursuing his Bachelor's degree in Journalism from Manipal University. A former sports editor for The Manipal Journal, Bhavishya has also worked for The New Indian Express. He has a keen eye for many sports but he is a particularly ardent follower of tennis, with a zest to create riveting articles on the ever-evolving sport.

John McEnroe Reveals the Major Hindrances Rafael Nadal Will Face at French Open 2020

John McEnroe feels the door is open to succeed Rafael Nadal at French Open 2020

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