Italian Open Tennis
Serbia's Novak Djokovic returns the ball to Czech Republic's Tomas Berdych during their match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Friday, ...
Serbia's Novak Djokovic returns the ball to Czech Republic's Tomas Berdych during their match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Friday, May 17, 2013. (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca)
Italian Open Tennis
Serena Williams, of the United States, right, flanked by Belarus' Victoria Azarenka poses with the trophy after winning her final match at the Itali...
Serena Williams, of the United States, right, flanked by Belarus' Victoria Azarenka poses with the trophy after winning her final match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Sunday, May 19, 2013. Serena Williams won her fourth consecutive title of the year in dominating fashion Sunday, beating third-seeded Victoria Azarenka 6-1, 6-3 in the Italian Open final. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
APTOPIX Italian Open Tennis
Roger Federer of Switzerland loses his tennis racket during the final match against Spain's Rafael Nadal, at the Italian Open tennis tournament in R...
Roger Federer of Switzerland loses his tennis racket during the final match against Spain's Rafael Nadal, at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Sunday, May 19, 2013. Nadal won 6-1, 6-3. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
APTOPIX Italian Open Tennis
Spain's Rafael Nadal, right, greets Roger Federer of Switzerland at the end of their final match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Sunda...
Spain's Rafael Nadal, right, greets Roger Federer of Switzerland at the end of their final match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Sunday, May 19, 2013. Nadal won 6-1, 6-3. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Italian Open Tennis
Serena Williams, of the United States, poses with the trophy after winning her final match against Belarus' Victoria Azarenka at the Italian Open ten...
Serena Williams, of the United States, poses with the trophy after winning her final match against Belarus' Victoria Azarenka at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Sunday, May 19, 2013. Williams won her fourth consecutive title of the year in dominating fashion Sunday, beating third-seeded Victoria Azarenka 6-1, 6-3 in the Italian Open final. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Rafael Nadal's sustained excellence on clay and Serena Williams' current winning streak mean little thought is being given to the sort of surprises the French Open used to produce regularly.
Nadal already owns a record seven titles at Roland Garros. Plus, he's been nearly perfect after seven months off the tour because of a left knee injury: Since returning in February, Nadal is 36-2 with six titles.
And yet he will not be seeded No. 1 when the draw is held Friday. That's because the French Open decided to strictly follow the rankings, and Nadal lost points while he was away.
Williams, meanwhile, has won 24 matches in a row and is 67-3 since a first-round loss in Paris a year ago.
The tournament begins Sunday.
