Slippery Surface: Will Nadal Slide on the Clay Again?

In Madrid Nadal fell. But was it a mistake by Nadal or just a perfectly aligned set of circumstances?

Nadal has been quietly battling a sore knee, and in Madrid everything was against him. In the semi-finals Novak Djokovic spent four hours on the clay with Nadal, before he lost. Clay is a slick surface; there are no quick stops and easy turns. This may sound easy on the knee, but with each stretch and slide the muscles around the knees must tighten and stabilize. The knee must balance the weight of the entire player and then transition that force to an explosion in the opposite direction. Clay is the hardest place for your knees to perform.

After competing in the semis Rafael Nadal only had 30 hours to prepare for his finals match. Roger Federer, Nadal’s arch nemesis, cleaned up and capitalized on the tired and sore knee. Albeit the circumstances were stacked against him, Nadal did in fact fall for the first time on clay.

Heading into the second slam of the year Nadal has rested, rehabbed, and practiced like he always does. As the top player in the league he strives to distance himself from everyone else. Unlikely many others who make it to the top, Nadal is here for the long haul and is never satisfied.

The courts at Roland Garros will be much easier for the reigning champion. The pool provides no harsh back to back matches and the two guys that can give Rafa a tough time are stacked on the other side of the pool and will have to fight to see who gets the next stab at Nadal. He will win. He is too good in the French Open. Andy Murray, Federer, and Djokovic are the only players with any chance at Nadal, too bad they’re not ready!