Can Serena rebound in time for the season's second major?
— -- The long and arduous clay-court season is underway. Here are our top 10 questions as the French Open approaches.
1. Will Serena Williams win her first title since last summer's triumph in Cincinnati?
For someone who is supposed to be the dominant figure in women's tennis, and who came so close to accomplishing the calendar-year Grand Slam last season, Williams has not hoisted a trophy since last August. With the clay-court surface blunting some of Williams' power game, this probably isn't the part of the season she feels most confident playing. Certainly, victory at one of the warm-up tournaments would have the American feeling a little more self-assured before her arrival at Roland Garros, where she will be attempting to level Steffi Graf's modern-era record of 22 majors.
2. Will Novak Djokovic become the third man of his generation to complete the career Grand Slam?
One of the most touching moments from 2015 was the affection the Roland Garros crowd showed for Djokovic after his loss to Stan Wawrinka in the final. Djokovic's yearning for the top silverware in Paris is even more palpable than Roger Federer's was, and there's little that the Parisians like more than a tennis player who cares deeply about their clay courts.
3. Will Rafael Nadal become the first man in history to win the same Grand Slam title 10 times?
It's possible, but what likely won't happen is Nadal regaining his status as the undisputed King of Clay. Those days are gone. He has already suffered clay-court losses this season against Dominic Thiem in the Buenos Aires semifinals and to Pablo Cuevas at the same stage in Rio de Janiero. Still, we have to remember that in the 11 years Nadal has played the French Open, he's lost only twice.
4. How much will Maria Sharapova's likely absence be felt this spring?
A suspension of two years or longer would effectively finish her as a tennis player -- and perhaps even as a businesswoman. As much apathy as Sharapova has shown toward clay courts, it happens to be the only major she has won more than once. The slower surface has given her time to set up her power shots. Still, considering she missed a good portion of 2015, even if Sharapova is given a lenient ban, you'd have to believe it will take her a while before she gets back in the groove.
5. Will Andy Murray win his first tournament since becoming a father?
Murray won his first two career titles on clay last season and came closer than ever to making the French Open championship. He took Djokovic to five sets in the final four before falling. This year, Murray, whose daughter was born in February, hopes the dirt will give him a much-needed surge after failing to go deep in either Indian Wells or Miami.
6. Will Federer be a central figure in the clay-court swing?
His original plan was to skip the clay-court season -- all except Roland Garros. But then Federer injured his knee while preparing a bath for his children a day after the Australian Open and hasn't competed since. He made a last-minute decision to play Miami but withdrew moments before his opening match against Juan Martin del Potro because of a stomach illness. Suddenly, the clay-court swing will take on greater importance. Federer took a wild-card entry into next week's Monte Carlo Masters.
7. What's next for Victoria Azarenka?
She completed the rare Indian Wells-Miami double, a feat that had not been done since Kim Clijsters 11 years ago. Azarenka appears more motivated than ever after a series of injuries and off-court issues derailed a good part of two years. Still, the clay swing isn't Azarenka's favorite. In nine attempts, she has reached the French Open semis just once.
8. Will Svetlana Kuznetsova contend for the Roland Garros title?
The French Open champion in 2009 (and runner-up in 2006), Kuznetsova not only knows how to traverse the dirt, but heads into the clay season full of confidence after a promising run to the Miami final. She is 30 years old but is moving like a player much younger as she showed on Key Biscayne -- notably in a win against Serena in the fourth round.
9. Will Djokovic or Federer become the first man to win $100 million in prize-money?
Djokovic's back-to-back championships in Indian Wells and Miami gave him $98.2 million in career earnings, just ahead of Federer's $97.9 million. On paper, these totals are close, but you have to give the strong edge to the world No. 1, who has played (and won) a lot more tennis than his rival in 2016.
10. Will the clay-court swing pass without further damage to tennis' reputation?
Already this season, we have seen allegations of match-fixing, Sharapova's admission she tested positive for an illegal substance and Raymond Moore, the tournament director of Indian Wells, making ill-advised comments about equal pay. Perhaps, for the next few weeks, the focus can shift back to what is happening on the court.
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