Spanish Tennis star Rafael Nadal won his 21st Grand Slam in January at the Australian Open. With this
title, Nadal broke Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer’s record for most Grand
Slam titles. Nadal, who won 13 French Open titles, is regarded as the King of
Clay.

This year when the season’s third Grand Slam began in Paris on May 22,
the 35-year-old started vying for his record 14 French Open titles. Given Nadal’s
clay-court record and recent performance, he will go into the event as one of
the favourites for the coveted title. Nadal, however, will be cautious as he lost Italian Open and Madrid Open, where he lost to teen sensation Carlos Alcaraz.

Also Read: Novak Djokovic wins Italian Open before heading to Roland Garros

A prolific hard-smashing
tennis player, Nadal, in August 2021, became the first-ever player in the Open
Era to win at least 450 matches on two surfaces, clay and hard. Last year, he
failed to win the French Open which was only his third defeat at the Ronald
Garros since he started playing the French Open.

On clay courts, across the
world, Nadal has the longest winning streak in the Open Era. He won a record 81
consecutive matches on this surface between April 2005 and May 2007. He also
holds the record for winning most clay-court titles in the Open Era with 62
titles.

Also Read: French Open 2022: All you need to know about the upcoming Grand Slam

Nadal’s 464-43 win-loss
ratio is the third best on clay courts after Vilas (681-173) and Manuel Orantes
(569-170). Nadal is one of the five men to have claimed 400 or more clay-court
wins.

Nadal also holds the record
for winning 13 successive clay-court titles between 2005 and 2007. 

Also Read: ATP rankings: Djokovic maintains run as world no 1, Nadal drops to fifth

In the French Open, Nadal’s
13 titles are the most by a singles player. With six French Open titles, Bjorn
Borg is second behind Nadal. Nadal now holds the record for winning most titles
at a single Grand Slam in a single Grand Slam (French Open). At Ronald Garros,
Nadal has an incredible win-loss ratio (105-3). At French Open, Nadal was
unbeaten from 2005 to 2008, 2010 to 2014 and 2017 to 2020), respectively.

Also Read: Records Carlos Alcaraz broke by winning Madrid Open

Among other clay-court
events, Nadal has won Monte-Carlo Masters 11 times, most titles at a single
Masters 1000 tournament. He is the only men’s tennis player to have won the
Clay Slam – a title each at Monte Carlo, Rome, Madrid, and French Open in 2010.