Paris — Rafael Nadal insisted on Friday that he doesn’t care if he is regarded as the favourite for a 10th French Open, even if his rivals beg to differ. "100% he’s the big favourite," said Austrian star Dominic Thiem, one of the supporting cast waiting in the wings should the great Spaniard slip up. "Of course, I think he’s back at his best this year, and then he has also won here nine times, so he knows how it works to win here. I think he will try everything to win La Décima [the 10th]. I think it will be very unique in tennis to win a Grand Slam title 10 times. It’s pretty crazy, I guess. So 100% he’s the one to beat." Thiem, the 23-year-old world number nine, has already faced Nadal three times on clay this spring — losing in the finals in Barcelona and Madrid before getting revenge in the quarter-finals in Rome. It’s that kind of surprising setback — Nadal’s only loss on clay this year — that has the 30-year-old Spaniard eager to calm the mood. However, with defending champion...
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