Rafael Nadal begins his French Open campaign on Monday, seeking his 12th title and 18th Grand Slam while looking to dismiss any doubts about his form after three consecutive semi-final exits in the run-up to Roland Garros.
Three different players ousted the Spaniard in clay court tournaments in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Madrid before he roared back to his best to beat world number one Novak Djokovic in the final in Rome.
Nadal, a known stickler for routine and order, arrives at a revamped court Philippe Chatrier which has been 80% rebuilt for this year's tournament, but the 32-year-old said he will not be affected by the changes.
He is generally a slow starter but should not have any problem getting past his first-round opponent, Germany's Yannick Hanfmann.
The 27-year-old, who turned professional only four years ago, has never advanced past the opening round of a Grand Slam but he feels no pressure facing the championship favorite.
"I'll know a lot about him and maybe he doesn't know as much about me," he said in an interview on the Roland Garros website.
"I've been playing well. I've got a big game... So if my serve and return works, I can definitely do some damage."
While the crowd may be overwhelmingly in favor of Nadal, it is not something that affects Hanfmann, who has a hearing impairment.
"It's an advantage on court," he added. "Maybe on Chatrier, it'll be an advantage because I don't hear that much that's going on."
Info from Reuters
