Thiem expects Djokovic to fight Nadal at Roland Garros

"Roland Garros can be a place where Djokovic and Nadal are both 100% fit, where they put all their energy into their individual goals," Thiem told Ruud on Eurosport's live chat program. "It is unlikely that the two can make it to the final, but the chances of them meeting are quite high, possibly in one of the final rounds of the tournament. Tennis fans around the world are looking forward to this encounter."

Djokovic and Nadal are sharing tennis' most prestigious record, with the same 22 Grand Slams. If either of the two contemporary legends win Roland Garros 2023, they will leapfrog and monopolize the Grand Slam record. Nadal is more appreciated with 14 championships in the biggest clay tournament, but Djokovic is showing better form.

"Djokovic is the number one contender at every Grand Slam this year, except for Roland Garros," Thiem added. "If Nadal is healthy, he is the biggest candidate. The two of them are above the rest in five-set matches winning three." But the Austrian player also said that there are about five people on the ATP Tour right now who can beat Nole and Nadal, if at their best.

"Definitely a mention of Carlos Alcaraz," Thiem assessed. "I watched last year's US Open final many times, he played at an unbelievable level to win. Casper Ruud can beat Nole or Nadal at a Grand Slam. Stefanos Tsitsipas too, he hasn't shown what he has yet. best at the Australian Open. And Alexander Zverev is coming back strong from injury."

Before suffering a wrist injury and taking a long break, Thiem was considered the best clay court player in the ATP. At the moment, the Austrian tennis player is ranked 102nd in the world. He has yet to find his peak form and has just lost four straight games on the Tour.

Djokovic and Nadal are both absent from this week's ATP events. While Nole was banned from entering the US because he did not have a vaccine passport, Nadal withdrew from the Masters 1000 tournaments at Indian Wells and Miami to recover from injury and ensure fitness for the clay season.