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The French Open starts tomorrow and that means it is time for some tennis! The second major Grand Slam tournament of the year takes place at the Roland Garros Stadium in Paris.

The signature of the French Open is the famous red clay court that has bedeviled so many of the game’s greats in the past. The clay is not as consistent as a hard court and can change depending on the weather. It is more difficult to time slides and swings. Most of all, the tennis ball bounces slower on clay, changing its spin and trajectory. This means that powerful serves are blunted and long rallies are commonplace. Venus Williams, Pete Sampras, Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe are some of the all-time tennis greats who never took the trophy home from France.

Which makes what Rafael Nadal has done over the past decade all the more impressive. The “Clay King” will be gunning for his 10th (!) French Open title this year. He already owns the record at nine titles won. Nadal famously grew up practicing on clay and that experience combined with his speed, conditioning, timing and athleticism has made him almost unstoppable on the surface. Over the last few years injuries have impeded his game somewhat, but he still enters the 2017 tournament as the favorite on a run of good form.

Whatever happens, we know Nadal will not face longtime nemesis Roger Federer, who decided to pull out and preserve his aging body for Wimbledon. Fellow big-time stars Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray will also be lurking, although neither man has been on his best form as of late. Can they spring an upset? Will some relatively unknown young gun step into the spotlight to challenge Nadal? Only time will tell.

Over on the women’s field, Serena Williams will not compete due to her pregnancy, which must have every other player breathing a sigh of relief. While the women’s draw might suffer due to lack of starpower, it could be an opportunity to see who steps up in the vacuum left by Williams. A wide-open field could make for some tense, exciting matches. Tipsters are looking at Simona Halep, Angie Kerber and Garbiñe Muguruza to make some noise.

Whatever happens, it’s sure to be an interesting and exciting two weeks. With the star wattage on the men’s draw and the open nature of the women’s draw, you definitely won’t want to miss out on all the exciting tennis action? The official Inspector Pumphead prediction is that Nadal will win his 10th title. As for the women? No idea! What are your predictions? Let us know in the comments.