Tennis news - Rafael Nadal will not win French Open, claims Tim Henman after backing 'an upset'

Nadal has dominated the tournament at Roland Garros since winning his first title in 2005, claiming all bar three Grand Slams in France since.

The last two finals have seen him up against Thiem, who reached the final of the year-end championship in London last week, but the Austrian has only been able to pick up one set across the matches.

However, Henman reckons the improvements made it Thiem's game since his latest French Open final are enough to help him over the line.

"I will go for Thiem after what we have seen this week [at the ATP Finals]," Henman told the BBC.

"I can't say Nadal. It is very easy to think that he will win for a 13th time there.

"I am going to go for the upset."

Thiem is, by common consent, the second-best clay-court tennis player in the world. His two consecutive French Open finals are a testament to that, as are his 10 clay-court titles. His rise to No 4 in the world is founded on his ability to beat top-level players on the red dirt.

However, it's reactionary to believe that reaching the final in London should tell us anything about his "readiness" to win a Grand Slam.

The previous two winners of the ATP Finals, before Stefanos Tsitsipas beat Thiem in a brilliant final last weekend, have been Grigor Dimitrov and Alex Zverev.

Both men have been tipped for glory and both were thought to have achieved a watershed moment in London, only to continue to disappoint at Grand Slam level.

Thiem may well be ready to win a Grand Slam, but the French Open is likely not it. There is no mental block for Thiem, who has beaten Nadal four times on clay.

The fact is that Nadal is the best ever clay-court player and that shows no signs of changing.