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Lucky No.

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The King of Clay

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SportS FEATurE

As he collapsed to the floor and roared like a lion, Rafael Nadal was rewarded with a standing ovation from a crowd that was more than appreciative of his superiority on the tennis court. The message that rang loud and clear after this dramatic scene, which followed Nadal’s comprehensive 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory against Juan Martin Del Potro in the final of the BNP Paribas title at Indian Wells in March, was that the Spanish matador is back.

return to FormThe seven-time French Open winner had actually been back since February following a seven-month lay-off due to knee problems, and Indian Wells was his third consecutive title since returning to the game. The fact that Nadal chalked up wins over players such as Roger Federer, Tomas Berdych and an in-form Del Potro en route to capturing this title surely proves that he has exorcised the demons haunting his traumatised knees.

However, immediately after his triumph, Nadal signalled that he would skip the Miami Masters the following week. “Doctors recommend that I be back home for a few weeks, rest a little bit,

and keep practising the right way,” Nadal told BBC correspondent Jonathan Overend. “I need more power in the left leg quadriceps, so I need to keep working hard. The competition is hard for the body, so after four fantastic weeks I can’t go to Miami. I need to rest for the next one.” The next one that Nadal is referring to is, of course, his pet event, the French Open.

tricky KneesNadal quietly withdrew from the scene after his shock second-round loss to Lukas Rosol at Wimbledon in June 2012; he had been visibly struggling for two years prior.

After he was diagnosed with a partial tear of the patella tendon and inflammation in his left knee, Nadal finally acknowledged that his persistent knee troubles were hampering his movement on court, and was forced to sit out showpiece tournaments last year such as the London Olympics and the US Open, and this year’s Australian Open.

In the middle of January this year, fears that one of tennis’ most tenacious warriors would once again sit on the sidelines for another extended spell were abated when the Spanish tennis federation (RFET) announced that Nadal was making significant progress. “The tests confirm that Rafa’s recovery is proceeding favourably,” RFET doctor Angel Ruiz-Cotorro was quoted by Reuters. “Medically speaking, we are in the final stages, and the results were very satisfactory; the return to the circuit is expected to proceed according to plan.”

Nadal dismissed suggestions

After a long lay-off, Rafael Nadal is back in action. Are his tricky knees ready to claim an eighth French Open singles title? Sham Majid examines the evidence and weighs in.

that he was afraid of returning to the tennis courts in light of his ongoing knee ailments. “Fear? No. Stress? Yes. That’s normal. In fact, the theme of the moment is ‘patience,’” he was quoted in French publication, L’Equipe. “I need to take it step by step and accept that I’m not going to be at my maximum level right away. If I’m not humble, it’s not going to work. I’m not afraid because I know in what state my knee is in. For three weeks, all the tests I have undergone have shown perfect results. The truth is that my left knee is in fantastic shape compared with the other one. The pain should be gone by the end of February. I will regain my normal mobility on court. I just need to give my patellar tendon time to get used to intense efforts.”

“I need to take it step by step and accept that I’m not going to be at my maximum

level right away. If I’m not humble, it’s not going to work.”

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the other Contenders

WHEN? French openPremieres 26 May–9 JunRacquet Channel (CH 211)

roger FedererThe Swiss great has won the French Open just once, in 2009. He tripped at the final hurdle four times (2006, 2007, 2008, 2011) facing Nadal across the net. Following a slight back problem acquired during his quarter-final defeat to Nadal at Indian Wells, Federer took a leaf from the Nadal playbook and went on an eight-week hiatus to get into prime condition for Roland Garros.

Novak DjokovicDjokovic reached the French final last year but couldn’t get the better of Nadal. With the other three Grand Slams already in his pocket, the Serb will be hell-bent on claiming glory at Roland Garros this year. There have been suggestions that he is more of a hard court player, but

Back in the GameAs he made his long-awaited comeback at the Chile Open in February after being out for 222 days, the man with 11 Grand Slam singles titles under his belt admitted that he’s still in pain. “It’s a settled pain. I could feel it in the morning while getting up and in the afternoon while I’m eating or while hitting a backhand,” Nadal told L’Equipe. However, Toni Nadal, the champ’s uncle and coach, waded into the debate to play down concerns. “The knee is much better, but they’ve told us he will feel some discomfort and lack of mobility until the end of the month,” the coach told The Huffington Post. “But it’s definitely getting better.” Indeed, it has.

roland Garros 2013During his match against Del Potro at Indian Wells, the Spaniard displayed traits so typical of the Nadal of old: free movement and explosive power. He showed no signs of distress or discomfort over his knee.

Still, he has decided to take a break, giving himself plenty of time to rest and recuperate as he attempts to claim an eighth singles crown at Roland Garros. It’s no crime, of course, and few would bet against the raging Spanish bull from achieving that unbelievable feat: the stats don’t lie.

According to the Bleacher Report, Nadal has 31 consecutive match wins at the French Open, and boasts of an unparalleled record of 52 wins and a solitary defeat—that’s a 98.11% win rate. In fact, the King of Clay has earned two French Opens without dropping a single set, and is the only person to win the Clay Slam—winning on the clay courts of Monte Carlo, Rome, Madrid as well as the French Open in calendar year.

Anyone betting against Nadal taking a record eighth crown must be either brave or foolish.

Djokovic is determined put them to rest. “I’m not hiding that priority No.1 is probably Roland Garros because it’s the only Grand Slam I haven’t won,” Djokovic was quoted in The Independent.

Andy Murray“Clay’s been a surface I’ve struggled on; my results on clay haven’t been as good as on the other surfaces, so to be able to do that would be one of my best achievements,” Murray told ESPN UK. It’s not that bad, really: his best result was a semi-final berth in 2011. Can the Scot go one step further this year?