Underappreciated greatness
"What Nadal has done on clay over the past three years is nothing
short of remarkable," Sampras said. "To be as dominant as he has been,
winning 100 out of 101 matches! That's one of the greatest achievements
in the history of tennis, and I don't feel like it is recognized to the
extent it deserves.
"The physical challenge is obvious, but
the mental and emotional duress of preparing match in and match out is
possibly greater. You can really tell how much he enjoys playing, and I
think that's a huge part in his success. I have a lot of respect for
the effort he puts into not only every match, but also every point."
That's
strong praise from someone who knows all too well the duress associated
with such lofty expectations. The argument can be made that Nadal's
dominance on dirt is helped by the fact that clay-court tennis offers a
significantly larger margin of error because it's based more on
physical prowess than technical efficiency.
Still, I agree
with Pete: Nadal's dominance is one of the most remarkable
accomplishments in modern tennis. The only match Nadal has lost on clay
over the past three years was in the final of Hamburg, Germany, last
year against Roger Federer -- and that was when Nadal was so fatigued that he considered withdrawing prior to the event.
Nadal
presents so many challenges to his opponents on all surfaces, but it's
his movement on clay that sets him apart. His balance, tenacity and
sheer physical strength put pressure on his opponents to hit to precise
spots to win points. This inevitably leads to his opponents committing
errors.
Those defensive skills, combined with an ability to
dominate the middle of the court with his forehand and to set up points
with his swinging lefty serve, add up to this: I believe Nadal will be
the most dominant clay-court player of all-time. Bjorn Börg set
the bar incredibly high, winning five straight French Opens, but Nadal
is closing in. He has already won three and is a heavy favorite again
this year. In fact, Nadal has never been defeated at Roland Garros.
All of these variables lend themselves to tremendous drama unfolding at
the French Open. Nadal, on track to becoming the greatest clay-court
player of all-time, pitted against Federer, on pace to rewriting the
record books. This is exactly what tennis needs: a rivalry between two
iconic champions on one of its grandest stages. All eyes will be on
Roland Garros.