Rafael Nadal Sets His Sight on the Clay Season

Former World No. 1 Rafael Nadal is all set to conquer the clay courts of Europe. Riding high on confidence after his remarkable performances in all the four tournaments he had appeared since his comeback to professional tennis.

The Spaniard superstar proved to all that he has enough fight left in him when he rallied from a set and a break down to defeat Argentine Juan Martin del Potro in the finals of the Indian Wells a couple of days ago. Nadal’s triumph at the recently concluded BNP Paribas Open was his third title win of the current season. The 26-year-old has now improved his season stats to 17-1 which infact is one of the best start to a season in his long and accomplished career. Nadal had won two other clay event title in the Latin American continent in February but those were not considered as a true test of grit, stamina, and most importantly his knees by skeptics. The 7-time French Open winner’s 6-0, 6-2 destruction of world no. 5 David Ferrer in the final of the Mexican Open is more than enough to clear all the doubts that many have of him.

Prior to the Indian Wells event, many doubted how Nadal would hold up and the chances of the 11-time Grand Slam champion winning at the Masters tournament was always under question. The Spaniard had not won a hard-court event since 2010, and was just returning back from a seven-month long hiatus during which he underwent rehabilitation for his injured left knee. But, the final at the Indian Wells witnessed Nadal’s employment of his powerful forehand, the ferocity of his ground strokes and the sheer determination that have long characterized the game of the ‘King of Clay.’

The victory at Indian Wells also has allowed him to climb into the world no. 4 position in the ATP rankings which is quite important as it will help him to stay out of the kind of draw he experienced at BNP Paribas Open where he had to overcome Roger Federer in the quarter-finals.

Despite his emphatic win, Nadal is more concerned about the European clay season and the next Major at Roland Garros because the Spaniard, on the advice of his doctors, has pulled out of the Miami Masters so as to allow his knees to rest. The Spaniard who still needs to take anti-inflammatory before his matches has been playing intensely for weeks require certain time to strengthen his left quadriceps to avoid the kind of injury he has experienced.

Nadal is considered one of the best clay court player of all time, and has in fact dominated the scene for almost the last eight years.