Rafael Nadal will be ready come French Open, says Serena Williams' former coach

Rafael Nadal will be ready to compete at the highest level during the 2023 French Open, according to top tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou. Claiming that Nadal's hopes are pinned on Roland Garros to extend his tally in the Grand Slam race, Mouratoglou thinks the Spaniard will give it his all in Paris.

The French coach also highlighted what he believes are the keys to success for Nadal at the French Open.

Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, withdrew from next week's Monte-Carlo Masters due to the hip injury that has sidelined him since the Australian Open. The Spaniard is expected to make his comeback at the Barcelona Open in a couple of weeks.

As Nadal nears a comeback, Mouratoglou reflected on the importance of the French Open for the 14-time champion in Paris.

"He knows if there is one he can win, it's this one, more than any other," Patrick Mouratoglou said in a video on his social media channel. "So all his program, whatever he's done since the Australian Open, his number one goal is to win Roland Garros. So he will be ready."

Mouratoglou stressed that the biggest indicator of Nadal's level upon his comeback would be his movement on the court. As per Mouratoglou, who has formerly coached Serena Williams and Simona Halep, Nadal has modified his game a lot over the years but movement remains his biggest weapon.

"Rafa is a player that progresses match after match. He needs matches. The older he gets, the less matches he needs because the more he's mastering his game. Most important for him will be movement, because it's the base of his game. Originally, a player who was defending a lot, he's not anymore. He has developed a lot of weapons. But still, movement is the base of his game," Mouratoglou said.

He further highlighted that the 36-year-old favors his forehand more than any other shot, and that to keep hitting forehands he will need to move well.

"Rafa is a player, when at his best, who is hitting 80 percent forehands," Mouratoglou said. "Even though his backhand improved, he dictates with his forehand. That's his weapon. To hit 80 percent forehands, you have to move incredibly well, especially at the back."

"So that's the number one thing to monitor to assess his level on clay match after match, tournament after tournament until he's in Roland Garros," the Frenchman added.

Andrey Rublev picks Rafael Nadal to win French Open 2023

The Spaniard celebrates after winning the 2022 French Open.

Andrey Rublev believes Rafael Nadal is the favorite to win the 2023 French Open for his 15th title at Roland Garros and 23rd Slam overall. The Russian player suggested that he didn't even need to explain why Nadal is the favorite to win the tournament, given his dominance on clay.

Nadal has only ever lost three matches at the French Open.

"I mean I need to say why Nadal? After 18 years of winning everything on clay," Andrey Rublev said when asked for his prediction.

If he does make a return at the Barcelona Open, Nadal will have three tournaments in the build-up to the French Open - including the Masters 1000 events in Madrid and Rome, where he has won a combined 15 titles. The Spaniard last won the Madrid Masters in 2018 and the Italian Open in 2021.