Why Roger Federer will find it tough to unseat King Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros

Les Internationaux de France de Roland Garros – or the French open staged at Roland Garros - is the second Grand Slam on the tennis calendar and the premier clay court tournament on the planet. 

Its slow, almost absorbing surface, is equally difficult on power and panache players, and the lack of a tie-break in the final set makes this the most challenging tournament to win, even for the game's masters.

The Slam, with a combined prize purse of nearly 19m Euros begins on May 25, and sees two current champions striving to carve their names on to the honours board.

The King of Clay, Rafael Nadal, will strive to win his fourth consecutive French title. To say the man is a clay court specialist in a grave understatement. Since his last Grand Slam triumph at Roland Garros, he has just the one title, winning at Stuttgart in July. Of course, we cannot pigeon hole the Spanish master. At Wimbledon last year he came very close to dethroning the Emperor of the Grass courts – Roger Federer himself. He will overtake Bjorn Borg's run of four straight titles if he triumphs this year.