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 ebook, 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 notably on clay, but in addition on the historical past of the floor and its most well-known match, which Nadal received an unimaginable 14 occasions.
Listed here are 5 issues we realized after ending this must-read ebook.
Large second for me. The Warrior publishes as we speak 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 all the time be related.Vamos! pic.twitter.com/TFavbLNnAI
— Christopher Clarey 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 🇪🇸 (@christophclarey) Might 13, 2025
The French Championships Have been First Performed on Grass
Earlier than the occasion turned generally known 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 change to clay, which seemingly occurred earlier than 1900? Tennis historians consider it was because 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 court docket 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 might make a large run in Paris.
However earlier than he left Mallorca for Paris, Nadal hit some tennis with buddies and jumped the web for enjoyable. However a few of his buddies, considering it will be humorous, lifted the web as he did. Nadal fell and suffered a slight fracture in his proper elbow. In consequence, he missed competing at Paris that yr. 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-Courtroom Rituals Are a “Catastrophe”
A lot was stated 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 means, to adjusting his hair, shirt and shorts earlier than every serve, simply to call just a few. In reality, as he grew older, the routine turned much more elaborate.
But, regardless of the assumption by many who Nadal has OCD, that has been denied by each him and his staff. Nonetheless, Nadal when requested in regards to the rituals admitted they’re strictly for the court docket solely.
“They are a catastrophe, sincerely,” he stated. “Folks see my routines on the court docket and consider that I’m somebody with a number of routines and superstitions exterior the court docket, however exterior the court docket I’m virtually at zero. I must be actually organized when I’m competing, however in my private life, I am somebody who is basically disorganized and somebody who just isn’t actually on time or tremendous kind A. However when I’m on the court docket, the routines permit me to remain completely focused on what there’s 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 great 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 court docket. They had been doubles opponents. They wore matching outfits.2022: The final time Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal shared the court docket. They had been doubles companions. They wore matching outfits.
Glad 21 years of Fedal ❤️ pic.twitter.com/BysDGSQ1PB
— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) March 28, 2025
By 2006, Nadal and Federer’s staff had been identified to talk sick of the opposite participant in non-public. Nadal’s camp thought Federer wasn’t disciplined together with his food regimen and never having the identical work ethic as Nadal.
On Federer’s aspect, some in his staff puzzled how Nadal might reveal his ferocious endurance on court docket and requested officers how typically Nadal was being drug examined.
The back-and-forth sniping acquired so unhealthy that ultimately the ATP stepped in and requested either side to speak with one another straight and never depend on false rumors.
As Nadal’s agent Benito Perez-Barbiadillo remembers of the time, “They (Nadal and Federer) had been actually two good human beings, in order that they needed to discuss to one another and never hear what the entourages had been saying.”
Will the Stadium Courtroom 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. Nonetheless, the rumors that sooner or later the primary stadium court docket will likely 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
At the moment, the court docket is called in honor of the late Worldwide Tennis Federation president Philippe Chatrier. If the court docket is ever renamed, it is attainable it will likely be for a French participant down the street.
But simply exterior 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.
