Men to watch at the French Open, where play begins Sunday:
NOVAK DJOKOVIC
Ranked: 1
Age: 27 (Turns 28 on Friday)
Country: Serbia
2015 Match Record: 35-2
2015 Singles Titles: 5
Career Singles Titles: 53
Major Titles: 8 - Australian Open ('08, `11, `12, `13, `15), Wimbledon ('11, `14), U.S. Open ('11)
Last 5 French Opens: `14-Lost in Final, `13-SF, `12-F, `11-SF, `10-QF
Topspin: Carries 22-match winning streak into French Open. ... Needs title at Roland Garros to become eighth man to complete a career Grand Slam. ... Trying to become first man since Jim Courier in 1992 to win the Australian Open and French Open in the same year. ... In six of previous 10 appearances, his French Open ended with a loss to Nadal, including twice in the final (last year and 2012), and three times in the semifinals (2013, 2008, 2007). ... 14-1 against top-10 opponents in 2015.
ROGER FEDERER
Ranked: 2
Age: 33
Country: Switzerland
2015 Match Record: 25-5
2015 Singles Titles: 3
Career Singles Titles: 85
Major Titles: 17 - French Open ('09), Wimbledon ('03, `04, `05, `06, `07, `09, `12), U.S. Open ('04, `05, `06, `07, `08), Australian Open ('04, `06, `07, `10)
Last 5 French Opens: `14-4th, `13-QF, `12-SF, `11-F, `10-QF
Topspin: Playing in his 62nd Grand Slam tournament in a row, extending his own record; the streak has lasted more than 15 years. ... Completed career Grand Slam by winning 2009 French Open, the one year in the last decade that Rafael Nadal did not win the tournament. Federer had lost to Nadal in the 2006, 2007 and 2008 finals in Paris.
ANDY MURRAY
Ranked: 3
Age: 28
Country: Britain
2015 Match Record: 31-5
2015 Singles Titles: 2
Career Singles Titles: 33
Major Titles: 2 - Wimbledon ('13), U.S. Open ('12)
Last 5 French Opens: `14-SF, `13-Did Not Play, `12-QF, `11-SF, `10-4th
Topspin: Is 10-0 since his wedding to longtime girlfriend Kim Sears, including his first two ATP clay-court tournament titles, at Munich and Madrid. ... While his two Grand Slam titles came on faster surfaces - hard courts at the U.S. Open, grass courts at Wimbledon - Murray has shown he can compete with the best on slow clay, including a career-best semifinal run at Roland Garros last year.
KEI NISHIKORI
Ranked: 5
Age: 25
Country: Japan
2015 Match Record: 31-7
2015 Singles Titles: 2
Career Singles Titles: 9
Major Titles: 0 - Best: F, U.S. Open ('14)
Last 5 French Opens: `14-1st, `13-4th, `12-DNP, `11-2nd, `10-2nd
Topspin: One of seven players with multiple tour titles in 2015. ... Showed progress on clay last season, but arrived at Roland Garros recovering from injury and bowed out in the first round. ... Made breakthrough run to U.S. Open final in 2014, then made it to second Australian Open quarterfinal in January.
RAFAEL NADAL
Ranked: 7
Age: 28 (turns 29 on June 3)
Country: Spain
2015 Match Record: 25-9
2015 Singles Titles: 1
Career Singles Titles: 65
Major Titles: 14 - French Open ('05, `06, `07, `08, `10, `11, `12, `13, `14), Wimbledon ('08, `10), U.S. Open ('10, `13), Australian Open ('09)
Last 5 French Opens: `14-Won Championship, `13-W, `12-W, `11-W, `10-W
Topspin: Has never appeared to be as vulnerable heading to Roland Garros as this year. ... Has won 66 of 67 French Open matches, with nine titles in 10 appearances. ... Only loss came in 2009's fourth round against Robin Soderling. ... Only man with nine trophies from one major tournament; only one with five in a row at French Open. ... Enters with five losses on clay in 2014, the first time he's had more than three in a year since dropping six back in 2003 as a teen.
STAN WAWRINKA
Ranked: 9
Age: 30
Country: Switzerland
2015 Match Record: 21-7
2015 Singles Titles: 2
Career Singles Titles: 9
Major Titles: 1 - Australian Open ('14)
Last 5 French Opens: `14-1st, 13-QF, `12-4th, `11-4th, `10-4th
Topspin: A year ago in Paris, bowed out in the first round against 41st-ranked Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain. Became first Australian Open champion to exit in the first round of that year's French Open since Petr Korda in 1998.
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