Five storylines to watch at the 2016 French Open

From Novak Djokovic’s quest for elusive Roland Garros glory to Serena Williams’ return to form, the 2016 French Open is chock full of drama that will keep tennis fans salivating.

Here are five storylines to watch as the game’s best converge on Roland Garros starting on Sunday.

Will Novak Djokovic finally get a French Open win?

Simply put, Djokovic needs a French Open title to be considered one of the game’s all-time greats. He’s had plenty of success on clay, but taking home the championship at Roland Garros has consistently escaped him. The world No. 1 has come up empty in 12 previous trips, finishing as runner-up in three of the last four years. He finally looked to have vanquished his curse last year after besting Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals, but then fell to Stan Wawrinka in a stunning upset in the final.

Djokovic has since played stronger than ever, winning the next three Grand Slams and opening 2016 with an ATP-best five titles. But, his momentum was recently halted with a loss to Andy Murray in the Italian Open final.

A win would make Djokovic just the eighth man to win all four Grand Slam tournaments.

Is it Andy Murray’s time?

Speaking of Murray, the Scotsman is gunning for his first taste of Roland Garros glory. Like his Serbian rival, Murray has yet to take home a French Open title. He dropped his coach Amelie Mauresmo earlier this month and fell to No. 3 in the world after losing to Djokovic in the Madrid Open final, but Murray has plenty of reason for confidence. His decisive victory in Italy and first over Djokovic on clay should give him a boost before Roland Garros. He could be Djokovic’s biggest roadblock to a French Open title.

Can Serena get her groove back?

The game’s most dominant player hasn’t won a major in 10 months, but Williams is coming off her first win of the year at the Italian Open. The defending French Open champion did not have an easy go in 2015, overcoming illness and determined challengers to win her 20th Grand Slam title. The French Open is the one Grand Slam Williams hasn’t won back to back, and she’ll be battling a bit of extra fatigue as she’s also slated to play doubles with her sister, Venus.

A French Open victory would be Williams’ 22nd singles Grand Slam, tying her with Steffi Graf for the most singles Slam titles of all time and two away from Margaret Court’s 24.

Though, if Serena is feeling the pressure, she hasn’t let it show. She’s spent the past week snapping selfies, taking dance classes and giving her Snapchat followers a lengthy tour of her Paris apartment.

What about Rafael Nadal?

Yes, Nadal has struggled, having suffered through his worst season in a decade, but it would be completely naïve to count out the “King of Clay.” Nadal has nine titles and a 70-2 record at the French Open. He’s had a decent 2016, winning two titles on clay and playing Djokovic well in Rome. And, Roger Federer’s injury means Nadal’s path just got easier. He’ll slide into the No. 4 slot, meaning that he won’t face Djokovic until the semifinals.

If Nadal emerges victorious, he would become the only man to ever win the same Grand Slam tournament 10 times.

Which underdogs will emerge?

Last year, it was the eighth-seeded Wawrinka who came away with a shocking upset. With more uncertainty heading into this year’s tournament, could another underdog make some noise? On the women’s side, competitors like Angelique Kerber, who took down Serena at the Australian Open, and Madison Keys, who is coming off an appearance at the Italian Open final, might be up for the challenge. For the men, it remains to be seen if Wawrinka has another run in him or if Kei Nishikori can break his string of bad luck in Paris.