[ad_1]
Rafael Nadal has played 49 Masters 1000 tournaments on clay during his career. The Spaniard put in an incredible performance and turned his nearly 200 wins into an impressive 25 titles. Nadal, 16, made his debut at the 2003 Monte Carlo Masters 1000 as a qualifier.
He picked up two wins and repeated a month later in Hamburg to show all his talent and skills on the slower surface. The Spaniard had to sit out the clay season in 2004 following an injury at Estoril, but came back stronger a year later.
Rafa played his third Masters 1000 tournament on clay at Monte Carlo 2005 and captured the title to write the history books. Nadal picked up the second trophy after that epic win over Guillermo Coria in Rome a month later. He became a player to beat on clay and clinched his first major crown at Roland Garros just days after his 19th birthday.
For the past 16 years, Nadal has been the dominant figure in the Masters 1000 on clay, suffering a few early exits but generally reaching the later stages and battling for trophies. Rafa has been a semi-finalist in 37 out of 49 tournaments, an incredible streak that was somewhat marred in the previous two seasons.
In 2019, Nadal suffered semi-final defeats in Monte Carlo and Madrid before recovering in Rome to win his 25th and so far last Masters 1000 title on clay. In 2020 and 2021, the Spaniard played three events in this series on clay and failed to reach the final four, embracing the losing streak that had never happened to him before!
Patrick Mouratoglou returns to Nadal
Patrick Mouratoglou recently took to Instagram to explain three changes he thinks Rafael Nadal has made to his game over the years. In the coach’s opinion, the Spaniard wouldn’t have become the player he is today if he hadn’t adapted his game to changing times.
“In 2005, Rafael Nadal won his first Grand Slam title. He emerged with his own unique style of play, standing well behind the baseline and adding crazy spin with every shot. With that play, he became the king of clay,” Mouratoglou said.
“Now he’s not just a clay court specialist. He leads the race in terms of Grand Slams won. How has he adapted his game to win on faster surfaces?” According to the Frenchman, the 35-year-old is looking to keep rallies as short as possible in order to conserve his energy.
“First, Rafa’s game became more and more aggressive. Early in his career, he was winning games by forcing long rallies from the baseline,” Mouratoglou said. “Now he’s looking to get on the court more, take control of the points and shorten rallies to conserve his energy.”
[ad_2]
Source link
