Rafael Nadal is King of Clay
Rafa's Streak of Clay Court Wins at 72 Matches
With his ongoing streak of 72 straight matches won on clay, Rafael Nadal is the undisputed ruler of the soft surface. Only Roger Federer has the tools to end his reign.
Rafael Nadal may not have had a coronation complete with crown and scepter, but he is without doubt the “King of Clay.” In claiming his 3rd consecutive Barcelona Open, the second man to do so following Matts Wilander from 1982 – 1984, Nadal stretched his unbeaten streak on clay to 72 matches and 12 consecutive titles on the surface.
Nadal Improving on Clay Court Record
Not only did Nadal assume the title of, “greatest clay court player ever” when in 2006 he broke Guillermo Vilas’ 29-year old record of 53 wins on clay, he has improved on Vilas’s record by 19…and counting! Considering Nadal’s current streak of matches and his 15-0 overall performance in clay court finals, unless he has a bad day and another player has a really good day on clay, only Roger Federer has the tools to dismantle Nadal’s kingdom of clay. However, Federer has yet to show us that he intends to employ those tools to unseat King Nadal.
A Strategy to Unseat the King
A recent tennis article at Suite 101 speculated on Roger Federer’s best strategy to beat Nadal at the 2007 French Open. In another article Patrick Mouoratoglou, Founder of Mouratoglou Tennis Academy in France, discussed Andy Murray’s strategy against Nadal at the 2007 Australian Open, which almost gained Murray the win. That strategy is almost identical to the strategy outlined in the Suite 101 article. Yet, Federer seems content to try to beat Nadal from the baseline with only occasional forays to net.
Murray’s game is not on par with Federer’s, yet he took Nadal to a 5th set before running out of steam. It will take Federer’s wide array of shots and his ability to raise his game at key moments in a match to threaten Nadal’s throne. Nadal rules the clay with an iron fist, more specifically, a platinum forehand and plutonium speed. His stamina and mental fortitude are already legendary at age 20. Attempting to unseat Nadal by trying to out hit him from the baseline, as Federer has tried to do, is like trying to depose Fidel Castro by strolling undetected into The Castro Compound in western Havana with weapons drawn.
Federer Has a Chance to End Nadal’s Reign on Clay
Nadal’s supremacy on clay is unrivaled in the history of tennis, and it will take a player unlike any in the history of tennis to discover a chink in Nadal’s earthen armor. Federer’s speed is arguably equal to Nadal’s. His forehand is considered the best in the game by many, his backhand is as solid as any, even if not as dominating as his forehand, and his net game is at least as good as, and perhaps better than, any player's on the ATP Tennis Tour. With Nadal recently employing a more attacking game, his hold on clay will only tighten unless Federer chooses to develop his patience and uses all of his weapons to assault Nadal’s kingdom.
Long Live King Nadal
Given the confidence that Nadal has garnered on clay over the past 72 matches, spanning almost two years, it will take all that Federer has in his tennis bag before there is any hint of hearing, “The king is dead. Long live the king,” in reference to the end of Nadal’s rule on dirt.
