Watch the Racquet Bracket Show on Tennis Channel on Friday, May 26 at 9 PM ET—then test your skills and play the Racquet Bracket game for the men's and women's draws.
ED MCGROGAN, SENIOR EDITOR: Rafael Nadal
It's hard to find any reason to pick against Rafa, especially after his one-sided win over Novak Djokovic in Madrid. If they meet again, in the semis, a victorious Spaniard could be prone to a letdown in the final—if he weren't already a nine-time champion. French Open title No. 10 would mean a ton to him.
NINA PANTIC, ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Rafael Nadal
Given the shaky statuses of Andy Murray and Djokovic, this is Nadal’s tournament to lose. He’s been near unbeatable on his beloved clay, and couldn’t look more like his old Slam-winning self. He’s landed in the currently vulnerable Milos Raonic’s section of the draw, and he'll be salivating if he gets a chance to beat Djokovic again.
BRAD KALLET, ONLINE EDITOR: Rafael Nadal
It’s the year of the fairy tale, isn’t it? Roger Federer and Serena Williams won in Melbourne, and now it’s Rafa’s turn to take back Grand Slam glory. Nadal, 17-1 on clay this season with three titles, will take advantage of a weakened field and wins French Open title No. 10.
STEVE TIGNOR, SENIOR WRITER: Rafael Nadal
He has won three clay events this spring, has finally beaten his biggest nemesis and rediscovered most, if not all, of his old confidence. While he has a potentially unpredictable opener against France’s Benoit Paire, his draw allows him to avoid the players he wanted to avoid.
MCGROGAN: Fabio Fognini
It must be someone from the Rafa-less, Nole-less and Dominic Thiem-less top half of the draw, and Fognini fits the bill nicely. I'm betting the new dad will be looser than ever this fortnight, which can cut both ways. On clay this year, he's beaten Murray, taken from Rafa, and he'll pose third-seeded Stan Wawrinka plenty of problems.
PANTIC: Pablo Cuevas
There are two dangerous Pablos in this draw—Cuevas and Carreno Busta—but the former has the better draw. He’s been shredding through the clay this season, with a quarterfinal run in Monte Carlo and a semifinal showing in Madrid. A late bloomer at 31, Cuevas will be more comfortable on the dirt than much of his opposition.
KALLET:Pablo Cuevas
Oh, Juan Martin del Potro, can’t you just stay healthy? Since he’s not 100 percent, I’m taking the under-the-radar Uruguayan, who reached the semis in Madrid and took Thiem to three sets in Rome. Cuevas won Sao Paulo, on clay, in February, and has reached the third round in Paris each of the last two years.
TIGNOR: Pablo Carreno Busta
The 20th-ranked Spaniard has never been past the second round at Roland Garros, but he’s had a career season in 2017, and his draw—he’s in a section with Raonic and Grigor Dimitrov—gives him a path to the quarterfinals. Where he would face Rafa.
