Rafael Nadal, the legendary Spanish tennis ace, has made and broken many records. The Spaniard has a record of holding the ranking of world no.1 for 209 weeks. Further, he has conquered every surface and has 20 Grand Slams under his name. However, speaking about clay courts out of his total 91 ATP singles titles, he has won 62 on the clay. Out of those, 11 belong to his Monte Carlo Masters.

Rafael Nadal, the King of Monte Carlo Masters

Rafael Nadal, the king of clay, had to stay out of this year’s Monte Carlo Open due to a rib injury. Rafa, while competing against 18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals of Indian Wells to become the eventual winner, incurred an injury. Thereby, stepping out of Miami and the very first clay-based tournament of the year.

However, his records prove what a relief it is for other players now that he has withdrawn from the tournaments. Monte Carlo-based championship officially became an open event in the year 1969. Since then till now, there has been no player with better records than Nadal on the red dirt of Monte Carlo.

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Former world no.1 in the year 2003, at the tender age of 16, played for the first time in this tournament. In which he defeated reigning Roland Garros champion, Albert Costa, to reach the third round. Thereafter, he won his first-ever title at Monte Carlo Open in 2005 and became the second-youngest player to win a Master 100o0 title. Following that, he took tennis by storm.

VIDEO: Rafael Nadal Has an Adorable Moment With 3 Children in His New Commercial

Nadal has played a total of 79 matches so far in the clay courts of Monte Carlo and has ended up only 6 times on the losing side. Further, he holds the record for most consecutive wins (8 wins from the year 2005-2012) and most consecutive finals (2005-2013). In addition, he is also the player with the record for most matches having played and won.

Why Is Rafa So Good on Clay?

Every court has a set of advantages and disadvantages. Speaking of clay, it is the softest surface. Therefore, inevitably, the ball travels slower and higher. Thus, transferring initial energy to the height instead of speed makes it difficult to win, as it gives time to the opponent to make a move.

However, it favors baseliners who can play consistently with a strong defense strategy. Nadal is a very experienced baseliner with great endurance. Further, he has tremendous body control which helps him avoid sliding. Also, his court coverage can’t be challenged by any other player apart from Federer and Djokovic.

Watch This Story: Rafael Nadal’s arguments with the chair umpires over the years

With an increased probability of Djokovic joining the French Open tour, fans are hoping for Nadal’s come back in order to witness the two greats of tennis in a tussle.