Rafael Nadal begins his quest for a 10th Roland Garros title with a first round match against Sam Groth. Having relinquished his hold on the French Open crown last year, when he went down to eventual finalist Novak Djokovic, Nadal will be keen to find that winning touch again in the Grand Slam he has pretty much owned for the past decade.
The Spaniard has been given a tricky first round opponent in Groth, and while clay is not the Australian's favourite surface, his big, booming serves could make an impact. Lukas Rosol gave defending champion Stanislas Wawrinka a big scare in the first round, while Andy Murray is fighting for survival against Radek Stepanek, which just goes to show, how difficult winning matches in majors have become.
Nadal will not want to take Groth for granted, but having put up encouraging performances in the leadup tournaments, the Spaniard will know, if he is anywhere near his best, he will move ahead in the French Open.
"I am well into 2016 now, and I played a few good events in a row," Nadal, who has struggled to find the dominance of old since returning from injuries, said before the start of the tournament. "A lot of tournaments in a row playing well. I hope to continue playing well here.
"That's all -- keep going the same way that I am playing, and if it's possible to play even a little bit better and better. If there is the sunshine here and the court is a little bit drier, my game adapts very well to this court. Only thing that I need is play well."
Having won nine French Open titles already, Nadal is targeting the "Decima", something his beloved Real Madrid managed a couple of years back. The key for the Spaniard will be not to let the pressure of a tenth title get to him, and that can only be done by taking it one match at a time.
If Nadal, who has a tough draw, does that, then we might get that semifinal against Djokovic that everyone wants to see. Before that, however, there are five matches to negotiate, starting with the one against Groth in the first round.
Where to Watch Live
Rafael Nadal vs Sam Groth is the second match on Suzanne Lenglen Court, with the first match set for an 11 a.m local time (2:30 p.m IST, 10 a.m BST, 5 a.m ET) start. Here are the live streaming and TV options.
India: TV: Neo Sports and Neo Prime.
UK: TV: ITV. Live Streaming: ITV Player.
Europe: TV: Eurosport. Live Streaming: Eurosport Player.
USA: TV: Tennis Channel, ESPN and NBC. Live Streaming: Tennis Channel live, Watch ESPN and NBC Sports Live Extra.
Australia: TV: Fox Sports. Live Streaming: Foxtel Play.
Middle East and North Africa: TV: BeIN Sports. Live Streaming: BeIN Sports Connect.
Asia: TV: Fox Sports.
International: Radio: Roland Garros Radio.
