As a life long tennis fan, I always look forward to the French Open. It is my favorite out of all four majors. I love the color of the red dirt and the very opinionated French crowd. In an instant they can be your number one fan to your worst enemy. This year is seen to be an interesting one for the women’s especially, due to retirement of Justine Henin. Ever since she retired the women’s tour has not been the same. None of the remaining women have been able to secure their hold as number one in the world. There have been some attempts, but their reign as a number one ended quickly. Previous number ones have been Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic. Currently, they both have not been playing their best tennis. Although Ivanovic is the defending champion for the French Open, it is not very likely she will claim her crown again. The trophy is up for grabs. Any woman that plays high quality tennis has a shot of capturing the title. My favorites for the tournament are the William sisters and Dinara Safina, the first seed. I am anxious to see which woman will be victorious.

Unlike the women, Rafael Nadal is the clear favorite to win the French Open for the fifth time. He is dominating the men’s tour right now and is unbeatable on clay. As a tennis spectator, I am anxious to see if any one will upset the number one player. The French Open has eluded Roger Federer for years. Every year he tries with all his heart to win this tournament, but every year Rafael Nadal stops him from his dream. It will be interesting to see if Federer can achieve his goal or if another top player will upset Nadal. I think Novak Djokovic has the best chance to upset the king of clay. Currently, the tournament is only in the second round. I am very excited to see which two players will end up holding the trophy. Even if you are not a passionate tennis fan, I still recommend you watch some matches. The sport is beautiful to watch, especially this tournament. The players look like ice skaters when they slide on the clay. I hope you get the opportunity to watch a match, I sure will be!