After losing to Rafael Nadal for the second consecutive time on red clay, world No. 1 Novak Djokovic concedes that the Spaniard is still a superior player on the surface, but still believes that he has a chance to compete the "Nole Slam" (four consecutive non-calendar year majors) at Roland Garros.
"He is always the favorite even if I win against him seven times—he is the best player in the world on this surface and the two wins I had [against him in Madrid and Rome last year] gave me confidence, and I think that the match today was quite close, even if he won in straight sets, "Djokovic told reporters in Rome. "If you don’t use the opportunities against Rafa he gets momentum. I made unforced errors and I don’t think he played extremely well—I made a lot of errors which should not happen when you play against Nadal ... I will go to Paris with confidence and I played a great week ... I cannot say it is not present and its there and a possibility to win four Grand Slams in a row, and I am going and preparing for a Grand Slam as I prepare for any other big event with more focus ... I need to make a few adjustment before Paris but I'll be in top form."