Outside of the tennis world, the French Open receives very little attention when compared to its counterparts, namely Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. The reason for this relative obscurity is simply that the French Open is weird. While most big name Australian and American tennis players dominate during the grass court and hard court seasons, there is a whole other group, the clay court clan, who dominate the red clay of Roland Garros. Many from the clay court clan come from either Spain or South America, and all seem to have long, loopy strokes tailored to playing on red clay. Recent winners of the French Open are all members of this group: Gaston Gaudio, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Albert Costa, Carlos Moya, and Gustavo Kuerten.
This year's French Open could prove to be one of the most exciting majors in recent memory. To begin with, there have been some subtle power shifts within the clay court clan. Rafael Nadal, a teenager from Majorca, has been inducted into the clan this year after having an absolutely stellar clay court season and rocketing into the top 10. In fact, Nadal's play this season should leave him as one of the strongest favorites to win the tournament.
In addition, after a year and a half of injuries and illnesses, Juan Carlos Ferrero has shown glimpses of the play which has made him nearly untouchable on the red clay for nearly two years. Juan Carlos still is not strong enough to be considered a favorite to win the tournament, but if he manages to get through the opening matches without being significantly challenged, he might gain the strength and confidence needed to contend.
Other members of the clay court clan capable of threatening to take the title are Carlos Moya and Gustavo Kuerten. Carlos Moya is consistently a top 10, if not top five, player. He possesses one of the best forehands in tennis and has one of the best serves in the business.
Unfortunately, he fits into a rare category in which his game is suited for a surface faster than clay but slower than hard courts. In addition, Moya's on-court intensity is questionable, and sometimes he appears to have enjoyed a long Spanish fiesta the night before. Moya is a contender for the title but stands the best chance of winning if the conditions are drier and quicker. Gustavo Kuerten is an outlier, at best, this year. He is just returning from his second hip surgery, which should hopefully help him regain the movement which let him win three French Opens. It is doubtful that Kuerten will have either the stamina or confidence to bring him deep into the tournament, but there is always a chance that he could find the magic which made him the best clay court player of his generation.
There are also several serious contenders outside of the clay court clan. Unfortunately for American fans, Andy Roddick isn't one of them. His only asset, power, is neutralized by the clay courts, and it is unlikely that he possesses the patience, discipline, and finesse to beat any of the top clay court players. A surprising contender this year could be Tim Henman. Henman is a bit old and lacks power, but last year he surprised the tennis world by serving and volleying his way to the semifinals. One thing Henman is exceptionally good at is mixing it up. He probably has the best volley and best slice in tennis, and possesses the ability to deceive many top players with a variety of spins which are rare in modern men's tennis.
Another favorite non-clan player is Marat Safin. The big Russian won the Australian Open and has shown in the past that he is quite capable on clay. All Safin needs is a good tournament to enter the semifinals or finals. Unfortunately, this can be tough for him. His major appearances are reliably inconsistent, but if he is able to get to the second week, he is a player that fans should keep an eye on.
As good as Safin and Henman are, the favorite non-clan player by far is Roger Federer. Federer consistently wins clay court tournaments, and let's not forget that he is the best player since Sampras. There is no doubt that Federer's forte is grass, but his versatility ensures that he has the capability of competing with the best that the clay court clan can throw at him.
