5 things we learned from Martina Navratilova’s pre-Roland Garros media call

The Tennis Channel analyst gave her takes on the second grand slam of the year, and which American dark horse is most likely to go deep in Paris.

The 2024 clay-court swing have yielded numerous intriguing storylines, all of which are set to converge at Roland Garros next week.

Ahead of Thursday’s draw ceremony, former champion Martina Navratilova shared her thoughts on the second Grand Slam tournament of the season, and who is most likely to lift the trophy:

Can Novak Djokovic’s experience win in an unpredictable men’s field?

Rafael Nadal has long been a lock to win at Roland Garros, but the 37-year-old, who is likely playing his final season on tour, hasn’t looked in the form that helped him win the title a whopping 14 times.

Top seeds Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, and Carlos Alcaraz all head into Paris with their own uncertainties, Djokovic suffering a shock head injury in Rome and both Sinner and Alcaraz dealing with physical issues ahead of the two weeks in Paris.

“Maybe they [all] end up being a hundred percent, but we don’t know,” Navratilova said on the call. “The unknowns are pretty large right now, and obviously if injuries come into play, then Novak is an even bigger favorite to win.”

Djokovic is still a betting favorite due to his experience, and the 24-time Grand Slam champion aimed to generate some pre-RG buzz by accepting a wild card into a 250-level event in Geneva.

Can Djokovic, who is yet to win a title in 2024, make the most of a chaotic field and capture a fourth Roland Garros title?
“It’s been Novak against the field in all the majors other than the French Open,” Navratilova continued. “But now that Rafa is obviously not playing his best tennis, he’s the favorite even on the clay.”

Iga is more Evert than Nadal

Iga Swiatek heads to her favorite major with the highest ranking point total since Serena Williams in 2015. The defending champion is coming off back-to-back victories at the Mutua Madrid Open and the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, and is a strong position to win a foruth Roland Garros title.

Navratilova compared Swiatek’s dominance to that of Chris Evert, who won a record seven Roland Garros titles between 1974 and 1986.

“I’ve said it about Chris, it was hard to find an opening,” Navratilova said. “It’s really impossible to find an opening against Iga on clay. Right now she looks pretty unbeatable.”

While Rafael Nadal may be Swiatek’s idol, the world No. 1 still “got a long way to go” to be comparable, according to Navratilova.

“It’s not comparable because Rafa did 14 altogether, like 14 out of 16 or something ridiculous,” she said. “But she might catch up to Chris the way she’s going. She’s still really young. She got started earlier than either Rafa or Chris winning at the French.”

Speaking of Chrissie, Navratilova wants more recognition for her RG rival

This year marks 50 since Chris Evert won her first Grand Slam title—and it happened in Paris. How might the French Tennis Federation celebrate Evert’s anniversary?

“If Rafa has a statue there, then Chris should have a statue, also,” Navratilova said. “They can make room on the grounds, she’s the OG queen of clay.”

One of Navratilova’s favorite matches happened at Roland Garros in 1984, when she beat Evert in the final.

“That was one of the best wins for me…it was about beating Chris on clay in Paris,” she recalled. “I made history for myself and for tennis.”

Watch out for Collins in Paris

Danielle Collins has shaken up the last eight years of WTA tennis, earning her first WTA 1000 title in Miami just a couple months ago.

“She would be my pick for a sneaky semifinal or final,” Navratilova said. “I know I wouldn’t want her in my draw.”

She heads into the tournament with only two Americans ranked ahead of her, Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula, and has effortlessly translated her game to clay, winning in Charleston and losing only to Aryna Sabalenka in Madrid and Rome.

The Olympic summer will bring out the best in the field, predicts Navratilova

Roland Garros marks the beginning of a strenuous summer season that will take both players and fans through major tournaments in Paris, Wimbledon in London, and then back to Paris for the Summer Olympic Games before culminating in New York for the US Open.

“You basically have four majors in two or three months, not much breathing space there,” Navratilova said. “The game is more physical [than when I was on tour] and the Olympics don’t make it easier that’s for sure.”

Adapting to the surfaces isn’t going to be as tough as the mental and physical challenges ahead, the former world No. 1 continues. Clay is generally easier on the body, so going from clay to grass back to clay isn’t the worst scenario.

Alexander Zverev and Belinda Bencic won the Men’s and Women’s Singles at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

“[Everyone] is gunning for the Olympic gold, but it’s hard to imagine that they’ll all be fresh as a daisy come the US Open,” she continued. “I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that people get through it.”

At the first leg of this summer-long stretch of majors and Olympics, Navratilova is most cautious about the injuries coming out of the season, and most excited for the highest level of tennis still to come.

“If everybody is healthy, then I think it could be, should be an interesting tournament,” she said. “I think it’ll be fascinating anyway to see who comes through.”