The only things that stand between Roger Federer and a French Open title are a baby and Stanislas Wawrinka.
As the two Swiss players redefine the dominant country on clay in the final of the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters, suddenly the winner has the inside track to win the French Open next month at Roland Garros.
Wawrinka is ranked third in the world, and Federer - left for dead by many (including a certain Sports World News reporter) after an injury-plagued 2013 that dropped him to No. 8 in the world, is back to No. 4 and in the Monte Carlo final after beating No. 2 Novak Djokovic for the second time in three tries this year.
Djokovic was battling through a wrist injury during his semifinals loss to Federer in Monte Carlo and announced after the match that he has to take a break to let the wrist recover, according to tennis.com - meaning he could miss the French Open - or have little playing time leading up to the event if the wrist heals in time.
Top-ranked Rafael Nadal, meanwhile, said he is battling to regain his confidence after losing the Australian Open final to Wawrinka and struggling to regain his form from a back injury that he suffered in Melbourne.
Nadal was bounced in the quarterfinals in Monte Carlo by his Spanish cohort David Ferrer, who promptly lost to Wawrinka in the semis. Before his match against Ferrer, Nadal had a 50-2 record in Monte Carlo and was an eight-time champion.
The winner of the Monte Carlo will have the inside track in Roland Garros, but for Federer, a chance to win another major should bring out the best in him.
Federer's wife Mirka is pregnant with the couple's third child, and Federer has indicated that he will be at her side when it's time - even if it's during a tournament.
"It's a priority for me trying to be there, trying to support my wife. I've played enough tennis matches," he said. "Missing a tournament or missing a match wouldn't change anything for me."
That includes the French Open.
"Yeah, let's talk about it when it would happen. At the moment we hope it's not going to be that way," he said earlier this week. "If it is, that's what it is, you know."
What it is would be a chance to increase his Grand Slam titles to 18.
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