The clay floor slows the ball down greater than grass, enabling Nadal to make use of his athleticism to assemble his factors and tee up that famed forehand.
In flip, it helps him hit the ball tougher and extra precisely, whereas the warmer summer time temperatures in mainland Europe – the place nearly all of the clay-court season takes place – assist Nadal generate extra bounce.
It’s notable that Nadal’s successes in Monte Carlo and Rome, two of the Tour’s three clay-court Masters tournaments, outnumber these in Madrid – the third – because the excessive altitude of the Spanish capital means the ball has much less high spin and bounces decrease.
“The circumstances at Roland Garros swimsuit him completely,” mentioned Austria’s Dominic Thiem after he misplaced to Nadal within the 2018 ultimate. “It is just like Monte Carlo, the place he additionally performs superb.
“Additionally the courtroom at Roland Garros could be very massive. We are able to return very far behind the baseline. That is a bonus to him.”
In 2020, the circumstances have been removed from Nadal’s liking.
Going into the match, Nadal mentioned the colder circumstances in an autumnal Paris and a heavier new ball offered him with the “hardest check” he had ever confronted at Roland Garros.
Even Djokovic hinted earlier than the match he felt the circumstances gave him a “higher probability” as a result of Nadal couldn’t get the ball as excessive.
But the Spaniard nonetheless received the title with out dropping a set.
Two-time French Open champion Jim Courier mentioned he thought the circumstances might need truly helped Nadal, notably within the ultimate towards high seed Djokovic.
Nadal performed with managed aggression of the very best stage, hitting 31 winners and making simply 14 unforced errors.
“Possibly we have been eager about it the unsuitable manner and perhaps Rafa was too,” mentioned Courier in his place as tv analyst for ITV.
“Possibly the slower circumstances helped him. Rafa was capable of get to the ball and land the blow with so little danger as a result of he has a lot spin on the ball.
“The very fact he had virtually the identical quantity of winners as Novak did, who was taking part in a lot extra dangerous tennis, and fewer than a 3rd of the unforced errors was mind-blowing.”
