Rafael Nadal is very much 'on schedule' to beat Novak Djokovic at the French Open, according to former tennis pro and current BBC analyst Jeff Tarango.
Nadal, who came short of beating the world's no.1 netter in the semifinal of the BNP Paribas Open, might be on his way to regaining his true form if he continues to show more confidence on the court.
Tarango really believed the Mallorcan Bull showed that he can still compete at a high level when he pushed Djokovic for one and half set at Indian Wells. For Tarango, that performance from Nadal only proves that he has a lot left in the tank and could become even more deadly as the season progresses, especially at the French Open.
Miami Masters will be pivotal for King of Clay:
The 29-year old Nadal will be facing Damir Džumhur in the second round of Miami Masters. It will be Nadal's fourth tournament hard court following his participation at Dubai, Australian Open and BNP Paribas Open.
While winning the Miami Masters isn't his true goal, Nadal will still bring his 100 percent in this tournament that could serve as momentum-booster for him entering the European clay-court season.
Despite sharing with Djokovic with the most Masters 1000 title in history (27), Nadal surprisingly is still searching for his first Miami Masters championship. Djokovic, on the other hand, already racked up five titles in this tournament, second to Andre Agassi's six crowns in sunny Miami.
Pushing for Change
Nadal is one of strong proponents pushing for several changes in the sport.
With the next wave of players becoming more focused on getting points as quickly as possible, Nadal warns that tennis might no longer be enjoying to watch in the future since it deprives the fans of long rallies and the dramas they are craving for from a great match.
"Tennis has been tremendously successful for a long time. The sport is healthy. But it's obvious at the same time we need to move, to predict the future," Nadal said in the press conference via Sky Sports. "I'm not talking for my generation but for the next generation. The people like the drama, the rallies. I don't remember amazing matches that was only one serve and one shot