What we learned from the Madrid Masters 2017

Rafael Nadal is unstoppable

Rafael Nadal has not had a single loss on clay so far, scooping every single title

We all knew this already, and much before the clay court season began. Already appearing to be in the form – and fitness of his life, Rafael Nadal set up a mammoth final against Roger Federer at the Australian Open and put up quite the fight before eventually going down to Roger Federer.

But now let’s look at his clay season. Already the clay GOAT, Rafael Nadal has firmly cemented his name in history as the sole deserving person of that title, and it’s backed up by the numbers. Nadal first finished his La Decima at the Monte-Carlo Masters – dropping only one set en route to the final, then followed that up with an unassailed showing at the first of his home clay court tournaments at the Barcelona Open.

Nadal would go on to win the Barcelona Open without dropping a set, and railed against Austrian clay-court specialist Dominic Thiem in that final. They would meet again – and soon, and in a final – but they didn’t know that yet.

Here, again, Nadal won his tenth title – and again, it was a record-extending win.

Seeded fourth at the Madrid Masters, Nadal encountered only one tough match – his first one here, against Italy’s Fabio Fognini – someone who has occasionally been quite a thorn in Nadal’s side, and then went on unassailable, without dropping a single set, only to face Dominic Thiem in yet another final.

This time, Thiem put up quite the spirited fight against Nadal, but even in the face of resilient, attacking tennis from Thiem, the Spaniard’s defense was unbreakable.

Going into the Italian Open, where Nadal again already holds the record for seven titles, he will now aim for another record-extending eighth one. If he is not the favourite for this season, then we’re not sure who is.