On the ATP Tour, the top clay court specialists have created unique space for themselves as competitors who can elevate their game beyond c...
On the ATP Tour, the top clay court specialists have created unique space for themselves as competitors who can elevate their game beyond conventional levels.
With powerful play from the baseline, ferocious topspin, consistency in long rallies, and enduring physicality, there are a few players who have left indelible marks on clay, peaking in Paris at the French Open. Some of them have carried this purple patch on other surfaces while others could not replicate their clay success. But most of the players who shone on the slower courts were those who could rise to the occasion, just as the ball rises high on the surface.
Such has been the dominance of a few players on the surface that several top players, who have largely decent numbers on the surface, have been made to look ordinary in comparison. Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, for example, have five and four finals at French Open but have managed to win just the one title each. On the opposite side of the spectrum is someone like Manuel Orantes, who never won the French Open but has won the second most matches on clay court with a 553-165 record.
Clay champions: From Evert’s dominance to Henin’s hat-trick, the...Read more
