Six contenders, two mysteries and one big question for the French Open

After moving from May to September last year because of the coronavirus pandemic, the French Open is back where it belongs, in the Parisian spring. The tournament, which starts Sunday, was pushed back a week to accommodate more fans when capacity restrictions ease June 9. With lights added to its courts, French Open will feature night tennis for the first time. Most night matches will be played without spectators because of a local curfew.

SIX CONTENDERS

Rafael Nadal

It would be entirely fitting for Nadal to win his 21st Grand Slam men's singles title, breaking Roger Federer's record, in Paris, where Nadal has won the French Open 13 times. He has not played much this year and won "only" two of the four clay-court tournaments he entered, losing to Alexander Zverev in Madrid and Andrey Rublev in Monte Carlo. But Nadal, who turns 35 next week, was in fine form in his last event, outlasting top-ranked Novak Djokovic for the title in Rome, and you simply don't bet against Nadal at Roland Garros. There is already a statue of Nadal on the Roland Garros grounds.

Novak Djokovic

Nadal's road to the final may be as hard as it's ever been. Daniil Medvedev, who regularly admits — often during matches — how much he dislikes playing on clay, has passed Nadal for No. 2 in the rankings. That meant it was possible for Nadal and Djokovic to end up in the same half of the draw and meet in the semifinals rather than the final. And that is exactly what happened. It is, in fact, the first time Nadal, Djokovic and Roger Federer are in the same half of a Grand Slam draw. But Djokovic, who won the Australian Open in February for his 18th major title, has had an erratic spring and hasn't beaten Nadal on clay in five years.

Stefanos Tsitsipas

Usually the "next generation" contender spot at the French Open goes to fourth-ranked Dominic Thiem, a finalist in 2018 and 2019. But his game has been a mess since he won the 2020 U.S. Open, and fifth-ranked Tsitsipas, a 22-year-old from Greece, has stepped up. He was a semifinalist at the last two Grand Slam tournaments. He is 16-3 on clay this year, winning two titles, and has tight three-set losses to Nadal and Djokovic. He also happens to be in the bottom half of the draw away from Nadal and Djokovic and with other younger stars like Thiem, Zverev and Medvedev.

Ashleigh Barty

That top-ranked Barty is a Grand Slam champion is not a surprise, but that her first major title came in Paris in 2019 was somewhat unexpected. After taking most of last year off, staying in her native Australia during the pandemic, Barty has arguably been the best player in the world. She has won three titles in 2021, including one on clay in Stuttgart. A few weeks later, she lost in the final in Madrid. She withdrew from her last tournament in Rome with an arm injury, but she said Friday she is "fit and ready to go."

Aryna Sabalenka

No. 2 Naomi Osaka has never played well in Paris and No. 3 Simona Halep withdrew with an injury, so we'll have to look further down the rankings. No. 4 is Sabalenka, who is seeded third with Halep out. The 23-year-old from Belarus has surged to a career-high ranking and developed a riveting on-court rivalry with Barty. They have played three times since March; two matches were finals and all three went three sets. Sabalenka won the most recent meeting, the final on the Madrid clay this month. But she has never advanced past the fourth round at a Grand Slam event, struggling to consistently harness her powerful, aggressive style.

Iga Swiatek

Let's not forget about the defending champion. Swiatek, the Polish player then ranked No. 54, burst onto the scene last year, claiming the title without losing a set. Now in the top 10, she is the betting favorite on the women's side as her idol Nadal is on the men's side. Swiatek, who turns 20 on Monday, was having a quiet season until her emphatic title run at the Italian Open two weeks ago, when she routed Karolina Pliskova, 6-0, 6-0, in the final.

TWO MYSTERIES

Serena Williams

Williams' body of work since losing in the semifinals of the Australian Open in February has been slim and unimpressive. She is 1-2, losing in straight sets to No. 44 Nadia Podoroska and No. 68 Katerina Siniakova. Her only win is against 17-year-old Lisa Pigato, who was ranked 572nd at the time. It's hard to see Williams, 39, finding her rhythm in Paris, where she hasn't had much success since 2016. Instead look toward Wimbledon, where she's reached the final the last four times she's played.

Roger Federer

Federer, who turns 40 in August, also has only played three matches this year, losing two. He played only one tournament (the Australian Open) and had two knee surgeries in 2020. He has been very clear that a long run at Roland Garros is not the goal, even though he was a semifinalist there as recently as 2019. He is trying to get in some matches and shake off rust to prepare for Wimbledon, a tournament he was won eight times and his best chance to claim another major title.

ONE BIG QUESTION

How far can Coco Gauff go?

American phenom Coco Gauff, 17, comes into the French Open with her highest ranking ever (No. 25) and is seeded at a Grand Slam event for the first time. She won the singles and doubles titles in her last event, in Parma, Italy, last week.

It is also the last tournament for players to earn points to qualify for their country's Olympic team. Each country can send only four players of each gender to the Tokyo Games, and Gauff currently sits in the fourth spot among American women.

She has momentum and motivation. But the draw may be standing in her way. Looming as a potential fourth-round opponent is the top-ranked Barty.