Rafael Nadal could be heading into Roland Garros as one of the few favorites to win the tournament after his victory at the Monte Carlo Masters this season.
If there is one thing people know about history, it is the fascinating fact that it occasionally repeats itself. It could be the case for Nadal, who won his ninth Monte Carlo Masters trophy and his first ATP World Tour-level title this year.
It took nine months before the Mallorcan finally broke into the winning column following his 7-5 5-7 6-0 victory over France's Gael Monfils in the final round of the tournament in Monaco, giving him a boost of confidence not only in his next tournament, but also at the French Open, where the 29-year-old won nine of his 14 Grand Slam titles.
While there is uncertainty whether Nadal is ready to once again take over the tennis scene at Roland Garros, a touch of history and stats favor the 29-year-old to be the victor in Paris.
In all of Nadal's eight wins at the Monte Carlo Masters, seven of them led to the Spaniard winning the French Open in 2005-2008 and 2010-2012. The only year Nadal has won in Monte Carlo and not win Roland Garros was in 2009, when he was defeated by Robin Soderling in the fourth round of the event.
This year could be another successful French Open campaign for Nadal, who last won a major title in 2014 also at the second Grand Slam event of the year. However, there are still many realistic factors to consider heading into the world No. 5's favorite tournament.
Nadal is coming off on another poor run before winning his first title of the year, losing against low-ranked opponents in most of the tournaments he joined. He could be on the verge of coming back to his old form, but that cannot be confirmed until he wins at one of the big stages and overcome career rival Novak Djokovic.
Djokovic suffered an early loss at the Monte Carlo Masters after stunned by Jiri Vesely in the second round. It is not to say that the result would be different had Djokovic faced Nadal in the final round, but there is no denying the talent and domination the Serb has been imposing in the past two seasons.
Nadal's schedule could also affect his bid for a 10th French Open title next month, with the Spaniard set join two competitions before hitting the clay-court in Paris. The tournaments in Madrid and Rome could either help Nadal stay sharp or drain him, considering the physicality and energy needed in playing on clay-courts.
Nevertheless, Nadal seems optimistic about his playing form heading into the French Open and his next tournament at the Barcelona Open, where opens against Marcel Granollers or Daniel Munoz de La Nava. Nadal has always been insistent that he is playing better than the previous year, and that could be enough reason to believe he has a shot at winning the French Open.
"I said at the beginning of the season, I feel much better than last year. If you don't confirm that with results... Victories help," Nadal said, reports Tennis World USA.
"I am still not 100% perfect, but I am much better. This victory confirms that I am better. I am very happy, winning again here after three years is something so special for me. Monte Carlo is one of the most important places in my career without any doubt."