This time last year, things didn't look too great for Rafael Nadal in his quest for an unprecedented tenth French Open title. While he had somehow managed to get back to fitness to take his place in the main draw at Roland Garros, you knew something wasn't right with the Spaniard.
And that proved to be the case as well, with Nadal forced to withdraw from his favourite and most successful Grand Slam with a wrist injury, an injury that would worry him for the rest of the season.
Having had that time to recharge his dying batteries, though, Nadal found a second wind (or is that a third or fourth wind), at the beginning of this year with some brilliant Nadal-like tennis, with only the mastery of his greatest rival – Roger Federer – who had also found a second wind, preventing the Spaniard from picking up his 15th Grand Slam title.
Grand Slam title number 15 awaits on the red clay for Nadal, and while it looked unlikely last season, this year it almost seems inevitable.
There is never a sure thing in any form of sport, but what comes closest is Nadal winning the French Open, if he is a 100% healthy. Going by his form and fitness so far in 2017, Nadal certainly looks primed for a tenth win at Roland Garros.
That La Decima has already been achieved in Monte Carlo and Barcelona, but for Nadal to do it in a Grand Slam would be taking the brilliance of the achievement to another level.
Nobody in the Open era has managed to win ten titles in the same Grand Slam. Martina Navratilova won nine Wimbledon titles and the closest any man, not named Rafa, has come to that magical ten mark are Federer and Pete Sampras with seven each – again at Wimbledon.
So, Nadal already stands alone in men's tennis with nine Roland Garros titles to his name and if he manages to lift the Coupe des Mousequetaires trophy for the tenth time, he will stand alone, in any singles category.
Only a certain underrated name in Margaret Court will be in Nadal's way from absolute and utter domination of a single Grand Slam. Court won 11 Australian Open titles in a row, in a remarkable run that went across the amateur and Open eras.
Having dominated the clay court season in 2017, you wouldn't want to bet against the great man completing that La Decima, not too long after his beloved Real Madrid did the same with European Cup/Champions League titles.
However, Nadal, while rolling through one title after another in the clay court season, did receive a jolt when he was ousted by Dominic Thiem in the quarterfinals of the Italian Open last week.
But, maybe that was a good thing.
Because it gives the 30-year-old, who will turn 31 during the tournament, provided he stays for the first few rounds, some extra time to rest.
The rhythm is there, those forehands have been getting a lot more topspin, the fitness looks good and the desire seems to be just as high as ever – so can anyone – Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Thiem, Alexander Zverev, Stan Wawrinka, anyone – stop Nadal from completing the Decima?
Nope, no they can't. The only thing that will stop Nadal from winning his tenth title is injury. If he is fully fit, the Spaniard will clinch his first French Open title since 2014.
