Rafael Nadal
Many had all but written off the King of Clay, with Rafael Nadal’s form having faltered over 2015. The Spaniard did not get off to the best start in 2016, either, crashing out in the first round of the Australian Open.
Nadal had described 2016 as his ‘comeback year,’ but the earliest tournaments of the year did not do much by way of proving that right for him. Once the clay court season began, however, the Spaniard, regarded as the greatest clay court player of all time, truly hit his stride. At the clay-season opening Monte Carlo Masters, Nadal, who had stuttered slightly in the earlier stages of the tournament, took on French ace Gael Monfils in the final, and after a tough first set, bageled him in the second.
He won the title at Monte Carlo for a record ninth time.
Yesterday, Nadal played the finals of the Barcelona Open, an ATP500 event and a home tournament for him, taking on reigning champion and World No. 6 Kei Nishikori in the finals. He would go on to trump the Japanese ace in straight sets and take a ninth title at that venue as well.
That win gave Nadal nine clay titles each at three different venues – the Monte Carlo Masters, the Barcelona ATP Open and the French Open. With his win, he also matched Argentine Guilermo Vilas’ clay court record of 49 titles.
Despite a dominant year so far from World No.1 Novak Djokovic, Nadal has announced his ‘return’, and all but thrown his name into the ring as a contender for a tenth French Open title.
What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here
