'The tournament is on,' Andy Roddick highlights the openness of the draw for the upcoming Roland Garros

Even tennis legend Andy Roddick agrees with the statement. In a recent podcast episode, “Served with Andy Roddick,”  the American spoke about the openness of the draw and how there is no real favorite for the tournament even with Nadal in it.

He even listed a couple of players like Taylor Fritz and Stefanos Tsitsipas as having an excellent shot at the title, given their form. 

I don't think there have been many Grand Slams in the last 25 years, at least for men, where we can say, 'The tournament is on.' We haven't had this conversation in so long. Our favorite is a man who suffers from a forearm injury and who has not played two of the last three Masters 1000. Andy Roddick said

Notably, Rafael Nadal’s name was not mentioned. Despite having won 14 titles in Paris, Nadal might not be the favorite to win for the first time. Moreover, the other ATP stars are hungry for a major win, especially when the top players are not in the best of form. 

Moreover, Medvedev, Rublev, and Ruud would also like to have their say, as would Taylor Fritz. All of a sudden we're talking about 12 or 15 players potentially winning the tournament for the first time in a long time. The opportunity presents itself for many players who are not necessarily considered favorites. Continued Roddick

Rafael Nadal’s participation at the Roland Garros is still a mystery despite recent updates

Spanish ace Rafael Nadal has been on an improved roll since his return. Despite not playing many matches, the 37-year-old holds on to some matches and tries to dig deeper in the tournament. 

His most recent loss came against Hubert Hurkacz at the Italian Open, after which Nadal said that it was uncertain if he would play at the French Open. However, according to recent reports by a Spanish outlet, AS, Nadal might be playing in Paris. They also said that the Spaniard felt less dejected after the loss. 

The Spanish outlet reported that Nadal feels fine and will travel to the French Open, which is set to take place in under two weeks. The 14-time champion might return for a possible last time and would try his best to provide tough competition.