By Erik Gudris | @atntennis | Wednesday Might 14, 2025
Rafael Nadal and his dominance on clay, particularly at Roland-Garros, are explored in-depth within the new guide, The Warrior: Rafael Nadal and His Kingdom of Clay.
Acclaimed tennis journalist Christopher Clarey, previously of the New York Occasions and the Worldwide Herald-Tribune, explores Nadal’s legendary profession by focusing primarily not solely on why he excelled significantly on clay, but additionally on the historical past of the floor and its most well-known match, which Nadal received an unimaginable 14 instances.
Listed here are 5 issues we discovered after ending this must-read guide.
Huge second for me. The Warrior publishes at present within the USA and Canada. 22 years within the making. 2 years within the writing. I went deep on Rafael #Nadal’s code & profession & on #RolandGarros, the dusty Parisian showplace with which he’ll at all times be related.Vamos! pic.twitter.com/TFavbLNnAI
— Christopher Clarey 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 🇪🇸 (@christophclarey) Might 13, 2025
The French Championships Had been First Performed on Grass
Earlier than the occasion grew to become referred to as Roland-Garros (named for the famed WWI aviator), the “French Championships” had been contested at varied tennis golf equipment earlier than the inaugural version was held on the Racing Membership on Paris’s western outskirts in 1891. Though not formally confirmed, the primary matches had been performed on grass. So why the swap to clay, which possible occurred earlier than 1900? Tennis historians imagine it was on account of clay being simpler to take care of than grass and clay courts changing into extra frequent in southern Europe due to local weather and sources.
Early Unhealthy Luck for Nadal Opened the Door for Gaston Gaudio
At age 16, a younger Nadal burst onto the scene and made an impression on the lead-up clay courtroom occasions in 2004 earlier than Paris, together with incomes wins over then reigning Roland-Garros champion Albert Costa after which later over one other former champion Carlos Moya. Expectations had been excessive that Nadal may make a large run in Paris.
However earlier than he left Mallorca for Paris, Nadal hit some tennis with pals and jumped the web for enjoyable. However a few of his pals, considering it could be humorous, lifted the web as he did. Nadal fell and suffered a slight fracture in his proper elbow. Because of this, he missed competing at Paris that 12 months. His absence, maybe, opened the door for eventual and shock champion Gaston Gaudio of Argentina to win the title in 5 units over his countryman Guillermo Coria.
Nadal would go on to win his first Roland-Garros title in 2005 over Mariano Puerta.
Rafael Nadal and Roland-Garros, a love story since 2005 🧡 pic.twitter.com/mRKQXQlTZI
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) April 18, 2025
Nadal Admits His On-Court docket Rituals Are a “Catastrophe”
A lot was mentioned and written about Nadal’s on-court “rituals” or “tics” throughout his profession, from organizing his water bottles in entrance of his chair a sure manner, to adjusting his hair, shirt and shorts earlier than every serve, simply to call a couple of. Actually, as he grew older, the routine grew to become much more elaborate.
But, regardless of the idea by many who Nadal has OCD, that has been denied by each him and his group. Nevertheless, Nadal when requested concerning the rituals admitted they’re strictly for the courtroom solely.
“They are a catastrophe, sincerely,” he mentioned. “Individuals see my routines on the courtroom and imagine that I’m somebody with plenty of routines and superstitions outdoors the courtroom, however outdoors the courtroom I’m virtually at zero. I have to be actually organized when I’m competing, however in my private life, I am somebody who is absolutely disorganized and somebody who shouldn’t be actually on time or tremendous kind A. However when I’m on the courtroom, the routines permit me to remain completely focused on what there may be to do.”
Nadal and Federer Camps Weren’t At all times So Pleasant
Regardless of their lengthy rivalry, each Nadal and Roger Federer now share a very good friendship and admiration for one another. However, that wasn’t the case early on of their careers, particularly between their respective groups when Nadal started to threaten the World No. 1 Federer, who nonetheless dominated the ATP Tour.
2004: The primary time Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal shared the courtroom. They had been doubles opponents. They wore matching outfits.2022: The final time Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal shared the courtroom. They had been doubles companions. They wore matching outfits.
Joyful 21 years of Fedal ❤️ pic.twitter.com/BysDGSQ1PB
— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) March 28, 2025
By 2006, Nadal and Federer’s group had been recognized to talk in poor health of the opposite participant in personal. Nadal’s camp thought Federer wasn’t disciplined together with his food plan and never having the identical work ethic as Nadal.
On Federer’s aspect, some in his group puzzled how Nadal may reveal his ferocious endurance on courtroom and requested officers how usually Nadal was being drug examined.
The back-and-forth sniping received so dangerous that ultimately the ATP stepped in and requested each side to speak with one another instantly and never depend on false rumors.
As Nadal’s agent Benito Perez-Barbiadillo remembers of the time, “They (Nadal and Federer) had been really two good human beings, in order that they needed to speak to one another and never hear what the entourages had been saying.”
Will the Stadium Court docket in Paris Be Named for Nadal Sometime?
All through Nadal’s profession, and his dominance over Roland-Garros, it is no shock that the French followers, as a result of Nadal is Spanish, went from suspicion to begrudging acceptance, to lastly overt popularity of Nadal’s achievements on the occasion. Nevertheless, the rumors that someday the primary stadium courtroom will probably be renamed in Nadal’s honor are simply that.
VIDEO: Days earlier than the French Open kicks off, a statue of Rafael Nadal is unveiled at Roland Garros pic.twitter.com/9YEIytjCtR
— AFP Information Company (@AFP) Might 29, 2021
Presently, the courtroom is called in honor of the late Worldwide Tennis Federation president Philippe Chatrier. If the courtroom is ever renamed, it is potential it is going to be for a French participant down the street.
But simply outdoors the advanced’s entrance gate is a brand new ten-foot stainless-steel statue of an airborne Nadal that celebrates his immortal standing because the “King of Clay.”
The Warrior: Rafael Nadal and His Kingdom of Clay is now available in shops and on-line.
