3 Reasons Rafael Nadal Will Annihilate Remaining French Open Opponents

It’s not often that the No. 2 seed is the overwhelming favorite, but then again, Rafael Nadal isn’t like everyone else. A six-time French Open champion, Nadal’s unparalleled success on clay courts has earned him the nickname “The King of Clay.” Although he sits behind Novak Djokovic in the world rankings, Nadal is the heavy favorite to capture the title at Roland Garros. At this point, it doesn’t appear anyone stands a chance in taking down the Spaniard.

The Record Books

Whether it was Barry Bonds’ quest to break Hank Aaron’s all-time home run record or Roger Clemens’ determination to win seven Cy Young Awards, the lure of rewriting history is immeasurable in sports. Although he’s already a six-time French Open champion, Nadal still needs one more championship to separate himself among the all-time greats. He already stands alone as the all-time winner in the Monte Carlo Masters, Rome Masters and Barcelona Open.

But, the Spaniard simply won’t settle for being tied with Bjorn Borg atop the record books at the French Open, and only a seventh title will do the trick. Despite a decorated career that includes winning a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics, Nadal will forever be remembered as the French Open extraordinaire. The opportunity to cement his legacy as the best clay court player and the most successful player in French Open history doesn’t bode well for any of Nadal’s opponents.

Physical Superiority 

When it comes down to it, tennis, like all sports, is a simple game of physics. Playing on clay requires tremendous footwork, agility, stamina as well as pure skill. Luckily for Nadal, he earns a clean sweep in all of these categories. As noted by Douglas Perry of The Oregonian, Nadal’s mega-spin on his forehand stroke is so unique and tailor-made for the clay court. His speed and overall athleticism allow him to track down any ball between the lines and make him an aggressive counter puncher. Take one look at Nadal, and it’s hard to not notice how incredible of an athlete he is.

As noted by Barry Flatman of the Wall Street Journal, former champions John McEnroe and Boris Becker described Nadal as a “freak” and “monster” even as a teenager. Flatman also notes that Nadal’s physician, Dr. Angel Ruiz Cotorro, described Nadal as, “A very special athlete with abnormal amounts of energy and explosiveness. He mixes the explosive pace of a 200-meter runner with the resistance of a marathon runner.” With Nadal healthy and in shape, his opponents simply aren’t in the same class.

Clay Court Advantage

Not even the Seattle Seahakws and the famed 12^th man home-field advantage can rival Nadal’s dominance on clay. To put it mildy, the man loses on clay about as often as Michael Jordan lost in the NBA finals. As noted, his playing style is conducive to playing on clay, but looking at the stats, his utter dominance is still mind-boggling. According to the ATP World Tour website, Nadal boasts an incredible 247 wins and only 19 losses on clay in his career. For you math wizzes, that’s nearly a .929 winning percentage. Find me another athlete in any sport that wins 93 percent of the time.

Last month, Nadal captured his 48^th career title, taking down David Ferrer in Barcelona.That victory marked Nadal’s 77^th straight clay court victory in April and his 14^th overall title in April. Since he lost to Djokovic a year ago, Nadal went on a 21-match winning streak on clay. Statistics don’t always tell the whole story, and in the case of Nadal, his No. 2 ranking doesn’t reflect where he’ll finish at the French Open. By June 10, Nadal will be entrenched as the best player in French Open history.