Is Stefanos Tsitsipas the Unexpected Heir to Rafael Nadal on Clay? 3 Reasons Why He Is a Huge French Open Favourite

There is no denying that Rafael Nadal has reigned supreme on the clay courts over the past many seasons on the men’s tour. The Spanish tennis star has attained the moniker ‘King of Clay’ owing to his 63 singles ATP titles, including fourteen Grand Slams on the surface. But now that he is in the twilight of his competitive journey, Nadal’s legacy might be in jeopardy.

His Greek colleague Stefanos Tsitsipas might have the potential to replicate similar feats on clay for three big reasons, which also make him a favorite at this season’s French Open. The unexpected heir to the ‘King of the Clay’ could come from Greece next!

Stefanos Tsitsipas’ recent stellar form on the men’s tour

After some lackluster performances during the hard court swing, the Greek tennis star started the clay court season on a high note. Entering the Monte Carlo Masters as the 12th seed, Stefanos Tsitsipas swept aside the likes of the fifth seed, Alexander Zverev, and his unseeded opponents, Laslo Djere and Tomás Martín Etcheverry, in the initial rounds. Later, in the quarterfinals, Tsitsipas defeated Karen Khachanov before clinching a phenomenal semifinal victory against the new number 2 player, Jannik Sinner. The Greek finally tasted glory in Monte Carlo after thumping another top seed, Casper Ruud, in the championship game as he outclassed the Norwegian in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4.

Continuing his great momentum on the court, Tsitsipas has now also made headlines at the Barcelona Open, where he is on the verge of winning another title this season. The former number 3 player breezed past the likes of Sebastian Ofner, Roberto Carballés Baena, and Facundo Diaz Acosta to reach the semifinals of the Torneo Conde de Godó. Tsitsipas then secured a place in another title match this season after pulling off a stunning comeback win against Dušan Lajović, as he won with a score of 5-7, 6-4, 6-2.

Tsitsipas needs to be wary of only one formidable opponent

Following in his idol Nadal’s footsteps, Carlos Alcaraz has also been a force to be reckoned with on the clay courts, given his seven triumphs on the surface. With the young Spaniard being his only threat on the tour, Tsitsipas might not need to be wary of other top-ranked players, including Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic. In his H2H record against the young Italian tennis sensation, the Greek player has a dominating 6-3 lead, which also includes his recent semifinal win at the Monte Carlo Masters. Tsitsipas and Sinner have faced each other on clay on five occasions, including their past encounters at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia and the Barcelona Open.

Tsitsipas has managed to overcome Sinner in four out of their five meetings on clay, while the Italian only has one win, which came four seasons ago at the Rome Open. Djokovic, on the other hand, is quite far away from his optimum levels on the court this season. After his semifinal exit at the Australian Open, the Serb faced a disappointing initial-round defeat at the Indian Wells Masters, where he was stunned by an unseeded youngster, Luca Nardi. The ‘Djoker’ later decided to pull out of the Miami Open before his campaign in Monte Carlo. Djokovic has now failed to start the clay court season on a high note as he tasted a defeat at the hands of the 8th seed, Casper Ruud, in the semis of the Monte Carlo Masters.

Tsitsipas’ brilliant win percentage on clay as he is part of an elite list

The Greek player is currently sitting in the top 10 spots of the win percentage on clay in the open era amongst some of the legendary figures who’ve played 100+ matches on the ATP Tour. With a win percentage of 104-30 (77.6%) on clay, Tsitsipas has established himself in the 9th position in this elite list. In doing so, he has joined the likes of Rafael Nadal: 475-46 (91.2%), Bjorn Borg: 285-46 (86.1%), Ivan Lendl: 329-77 (81%), Novak Djokovic: 273-67 (80.3%), Guillermo Vilas: 681-173 (79.7%), Ilie Nastase: 429-114 (79%), Ken Rosewall: 134-36 (78.8%), Manuel Santana: 81-22 (78.6%), and Jose Luis-Clerc: 307-90 (77.3%).

With another victory at the Barcelona Open, Tsitsipas can further solidify his position, as he will then have a 105-30 (77.8%) win percentage on the clay surface. In order to do so, the fifth seed will have to beat the third seed, Casper Ruud, in the blockbuster final of the Torneo Conde de Godó.

Aside from all this, the Greek has a brilliant past record at the French Open, where he has secured one semifinal and two quarterfinal finishes during his competitive journey. Do you think that the Greek tennis star can pull off similar clay court feats as his Spanish colleague, Rafael Nadal? Let us know in the comments section.