The players, the media, the fans, and the whole tennis world are gearing up for the clay season to commence and so is German tennis pro Yannick Hanfmann. Every time the clay season begins, one name pops up everywhere and that is The King Of Clay, Rafael Nadal. Hanfmann too, cannot help but pay respect to Rafa when he talks about Roland Garros, especially after suffering a brutal defeat at his hands.

According to the German, playing Rafa on the center court of the French Open is the hardest job in the world. The 32-year-old opens up about the time when Nadal made him suffer at the Roland Garros in 2019.

Rafael Nadal gave Yannick Hanfmann a “good lesson” in defeat

In a conversation with CLAY, Hanfmann honestly reveals his experience of playing Rafa at the Phillippe Chatrier. He says, “I didn’t feel great. Like, he made me just suffer.” He then goes on to point to the fact that Rafa’s game is different than most of the players and playing him on this specific court makes it even more difficult to adjust. He admits, “He gave me a good lesson.”

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Rafa has fourteen French Open titles, making him an undisputed champion. His overall stats on clay speak for themselves. The Spaniards’ superior athleticism helps him change directions with nimble movement and balance on the slippery clay courts. His heavy topspin bites more into the clay, making him almost unplayable.

Getting into the details of his mindset during his match against Nadal in the French Open, Hanfmann explains, “I think to play Rafa on that court is probably the toughest job in tennis.” The German reveals the experience of playing Rafa as bittersweet since playing a legend like him will always be an “amazing” experience he also knew that it was going to be the end of the road for him at the French Open.

However, this is likely the last year we will witness Rafa play and it is agonizing for the fans to imagine a Rafa-less French Open. The future of clay will be marred by attendance pressure and opportunities for wide-ranging clay contenders.

Clay courts without Rafael Nadal’s mastery: A bleak outlook

The prospect of Roland Garros without Nadal is akin to the Rolling Stones without Mick Jagger, or a burger without ketchup, or even San Francisco without the Golden Gate Bridge. It’s a concept that’s challenging to grasp or imagine.

“For a few years, there will be a lot of, like, ‘Wow, so this is what Roland Garros is going to be like in the post-Rafael Nadal era,’” says Tennis Channel analyst Pam Shriver, imagining what the French Open would feel like without the 14-time champion

Jimmy Arias, another Tennis Channel analyst and Director of Tennis at the IMG Academy, tries to soften the blow, “Maybe Nadal will never be there again, but that will still leave us [Novak] Djokovic to watch. We’ll see if any of these younger guys can supplant him.”

However, anticipation is building as Rafa Nadal is expected to play at the French Open and the Paris Olympics in 2024 at least. Vamos for the last ride!

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