When Rafael Nadal announced last week that he will not play in the French Open as he continues to nurse a hip injury, one of the surest bets in all of sports went kaput. Since 2005, Nadal has won at Roland Garros 14 times. Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka are the only other men to win a French Open singles title in the past 18 years.
The French Open fortnight begins Sunday. With Nadal’s withdrawal, the men’s singles title is up for grabs. There are a couple of established veterans with good odds, but several other players are in the mix.
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