By Jack Cunniff
Profiles of the top men’s contenders for the 2011 French Open. Follow Jack Cunniff on twitter at @jrcunniff.
Note: Grand Slam records for main draw matches only.
| 1. Rafael Nadal  (ESP) | |
| 2011 Record: 36-6 | Grand Slam Record: 124-18 |
| French Open Record: 38-1 | French Open Best Result: Won (2005-08, ‘10) |
| Fast Fact: Nadal’s dominance at Roland Garros includes an 8-0 record vs. Top Ten ranked opponents, only seven sets lost in 38 victories; he’s never been extended to five sets . | |
| 2. Novak Djokovic (SRB) | |
| 2011 Record: 37-0 | Grand Slam Record: 92-23 |
| French Open Record: 21-6 | French Open Best Result: SF (2007-08) |
| Fast Fact: Djokovic has a only beaten a top ten player once at the French Open (Fernando Gonzalez, 2006). | |
| 3. Roger Federer (SUI) | |
| 2011 Record: 28-7 | Grand Slam Record: 213-31 |
| French Open Record: 43-11 | French Open Best Result: Won (2009) |
| Fast Fact: Eight of Federer’s losses at the French Open have been to players that are former champions or former finalists (Soderling, Nadal, Kuerten, and Corretja). | |
| 4. Andy Murray (GBR) | |
| 2011 Record: 13-7 | Grand Slam Record: 63-21 |
| French Open Record: 9-4 | French Open Best Result: QF (2009) |
| Fast Fact: Murray’s four match losing streak earlier this year was his longest of his pro career. | |
| 5. Robin Soderling (SWE) | |
| 2010 Record: 28-7 | Grand Slam Record: 45-29 |
| French Open Record: 15-7 | French Open Best Result: Finalist (2009, ’10) |
| Fast Fact: Over the last two years, Soderling has defeated seven Top Twenty players at the French Open. | |
| 6. Thomas Berdych (CZE) | |
| 2011 Record: 26-11 | Grand Slam Record: 60-30 |
| French Open Record: 10-7 | French Open Best Result: SF (2010) |
| Fast Fact: Despite ranking in the Top Ten for over a year, Berdych’s last title came over two years ago (Munich, 2009). | |
| 7. David Ferrer (ESP) | |
| 2011 Record: 28-8 | Grand Slam Record: 65-33 |
| French Open Record: 18-8 | French Open Best Result: QF (2005, ‘08) |
| Fast Fact: Ferrer has won 22 straight opening rounds at Grand Slam events; 2005 Wimbledon was the last 1R match he lost at a Slam. | |
| 8. Jurgen Melzer (AUT) | |
| 2011 Record: 12-10 | Grand Slam Record: 45-35 |
| French Open Record: 13-8 | French Open Best Result: SF (2010) |
| Fast Fact: Melzer is the only player with wins over the Top 3 players (Nadal, Djokovic, and Federer) within the last 12 months. | |
| 9. Gael Monfils (FRA) | |
| 2011 Record: 9-4 | Grand Slam Record: 42-21 |
| French Open Record: 15-6 | French Open Best Result: SF (2008) |
| Fast Fact: Monfils is the only Frenchman who has reached the SF of the French Open since 2001 (Grosjean). | |
| 10. Mardy Fish (USA) | |
| 2011 Record: 16-10 | Grand Slam Record: 35-32 |
| French Open Record: 2-5 | French Open Best Result: 2R (2008, ‘10) |
| Fast Fact: Fish’s wins over Giraldo and Ljubicic in Rome were his first ever back-to-back clay court wins in Grand Slam and Masters Series play. | |
| 11. Nicolas Almagro (ESP) | |
| 2011 Record: 31-9 | Grand Slam Record: 33-26 |
| French Open Record: 13-7 | French Open Best Result: QF (2008, ‘10) |
| Fast Fact: Almagro has been in 13 ATP finals in his career, winning ten, and all have been on clay. | |
| 12. Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) | |
| 2011 Record: 9-11 | Grand Slam Record: 70-39 |
| French Open Record: 15-10 | French Open Best Result: QF (2010) |
| Fast Fact: Youzhny has never deafeated a player ranked No. 1 | |
| 13. Richard Gasquet (FRA) | |
| 2011 Record: 20-11 | Grand Slam Record: 35-26 |
| French Open Record: 4-7 | French Open Best Result: 3R (2005) |
| Fast Fact: Gasquet’s last win at Roland Garros was in 2007 (1R, d. Mahut). | |
| 14. Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) | |
| 2011 Record: 19-8 | Grand Slam Record: 44-24 |
| French Open Record: 10-6 | French Open Best Result: 4R (2010) |
| Fast Fact: Wawrinka failed to reach the QF in his first 22 Grand Slam events, but has now reached back-to-back QF (2010 US, 2011 Australian). | |
| 15. Victor Troicki (SRB) | |
| 2011 Record: 22-12 | Grand Slam Record: 14-13 |
| French Open Record: 3-3 | French Open Best Result: 3R (2010) |
| Fast Fact: Troicki is the only Top Twenty ATP player to never reach the QF of a Grand Slam event; he’s never made it past the 3R. | |
| 16. Fernando Verdasco (ESP) | |
| 2011 Record: 13-11 | Grand Slam Record: 62-31 |
| French Open Record: 14-7 | French Open Best Result: 4R (2007-10) |
| Fast Fact: Verdasco hasn’t beat a top ten opponent in over a year (d. Djokovic, Rome, April 2010). | |
| 17. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) | |
| 2011 Record: 15-10 | Grand Slam Record: 39-14 |
| French Open Record: 6-3 | French Open Best Result: 4R (2009-10) |
| Fast Fact: All but two of Tsonga’s Grand Slam losses have been to Top Twenty players (Karlovic, 2009 Wimbledon; Dolgopolov, 2011 Australian) | |
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18. Gilles Simon (FRA) |
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| 2011 Record: 20-13 | Grand Slam Record: 27-20 |
| French Open Record: 3-5 | French Open Best Result: 3R (2009) |
| Fast Fact: Of the Top Twenty players, Simon has the best winning percentage in finals (80%, 8 of ten finals won). | |
| 19. Marin Cilic (CRO) | |
| 2011 Record: 21-11 | Grand Slam Record: 33-1 |
| French Open Record: 7-4 | French Open Best Result: 4R (2009-10) |
| Fast Fact: Cilic has only one win vs. Top 50 players at Roland Garros (Stepanek, 2009). | |
| 26. Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) | |
| 2011 Record: 27-6 | Grand Slam Record: 32-15 |
| French Open Record: 6-4 | French Open Best Result: SF (2009) |
| Fast Fact: Del Potro is 24-0 in 2011 when winning the first set. | |