Lob and Smash
Fansided

Rafael Nadal Ready for Clay, Heat at Rio Open

By Nate Slaymaker

facebooktwitterreddit

Rafael Nadal Ready for Clay, Heat at Rio Open

The last time Rafael Nadal was seen on a tennis court, he didn’t look himself. After beating Tomas Berdych an amazing 17 times in a row, he fell flat and lost to the Czech in the quarterfinals. Nadal did not consider himself a contender at the Australian Open due to a lack of match play. Heading into the Rio de Janero Open next week, Nadal appears to be totally healed from the illnesses and injuries that plagued him in 2014. Beginning his 2015 clay court campaign may be the perfect medicine.

It is no secret that Nadal is the best player ever to step on a clay tennis court. Nine French Open titles and dominance in Masters events on the surface have earned him the nickname “King of Clay.” In his South American tour and return to the court in 2014, Nadal won the tournament in Rio and will be defending the title and the 500 points that come with it. While court surface will be a welcome site for the Spaniard, the weather will test his endurance level.

It was 100 F (38 C) on Friday with similar temperatures predicted for next week.

It was 100 F (38 C) on Friday with similar temperatures predicted for next week. “I think this heat would affect anybody,” Nadal said. “It’s very difficult with these conditions. The conditions are extreme, with high humidity on top of that. If it doesn’t cool off, I’ll suffer and try to survive any way I can.”

Typically, grueling conditions would be in Nadal’s favor, as he is constantly one of the most fit players on the tour. Coming off an injury and not having too many matches under his belt could spell trouble for Nadal in the extreme heat.

Critics keep contending that Nadal’s body is beginning to let him down and that he will not transition well to the next stage of his career. Nadal’s knows better than anyone how important his fitness is to his game.

More from Rafael Nadal

“The physical side has helped me during my entire career,” Nadal said. “The physical part has been what has helped me get where I am and have the career I have had. … If I’m not well physically, it’s impossible to aspire to big things. I need to have confidence in my body and my tennis to compete.”

While many players choose to play on the hard courts of Dubai to gear up for the two Masters level events in the United States, Nadal will try to use his superior skills on the red dirt to launch his 2015 campaign in the right direction.

“I don’t know if I’m ready to win here or not,” he said. “I’m going to try to be ready for Tuesday and be competitive, and then we’ll see what’s going on. It’s my first tournament on clay after a long time, and always you need time to adapt.”

If he doesn’t retain his title as “King of Clay” this season, it will be more that Nadal who will need to adapt.

More from Lob and Smash

Home/Rafael Nadal