Rafael Nadal: Rafa Builds Much-Needed Momentum Rolling into French Open

Rafael Nadal finds comfort in clay.

After being dominated by Novak Djokovic over the course of this past year, Rafa has regained his momentum. He will be playing on his favorite surface going into the 2012 French Open. If Nadal has any interest in winning his seventh tournament at Roland Garros, he needed to regain that momentum.

According to the Winnipeg Free Press, Djokovic said of Rafa after the Italian Open:

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He is always the favourite even if I win against him seven times. He is the best player in the world on this surface and the two wins I had gave me confidence and I think that the match today was quite close, even if he won in straight sets.

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If Djokovic gained confidence from simply competing with Nadal on clay, just imagine how confident he’d be if he won. Not only did halting Djokovic’s rising confidence help Nadal going into the French Open, but his rival’s comments show just how dominant the Spaniard is on clay.

Nadal shrugged off his past struggles against Djokovic following his record sixth victory in the Rome Masters (via Winnipeg Free Press):

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You need to accept your losses because this is a game and in this sport you will always lose, but it is normal that you lose and you need to be patient to wait for your moment. I accept my losses and try to keep being competitive.

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Despite what Rafa said about quickly forgetting losses, the fact that he dodged a loss in the Italian Open is just as important as his triumph.

If Nadal would’ve lost, Djoker would’ve entered the French Open beating him eight times in their last nine matches. Instead, Nadal enters on a two-match winning streak. It isn’t like the King of Clay needs any more confidence playing on the surface, but the momentum that he gained will aid him in defending his French Open crown.

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

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