Does Rafael Nadal’s patchy clay form mean anything for the 2019 French Open?

Rafael Nadal, the undisputed king of clay, is yet to win a title in 2019. But what is more surprising, even shocking, is that he has played two claycourt tournaments and has not managed to reach even the final in either of them.

e no mistake, Nadal’s conquers - Fabio Fognini and Dominic Thiem - are both excellent players. Both of them, especially the Austrian, are completely at home on clay too. But Nadal is the king on the red dirt. To see him lose in two back-to-back tournaments at the semifinal stage, is almost a surreal feeling.

The Spaniard can still turn his season around, if he manages to win the biggest tournament on clay - the French Open at Roland Garros. He has already won it an unprecedented 11 times, and has only ever been defeated there twice in his entire career.

Only a fool will write Nadal off. But his recent patchy form on clay, where he has not only lost twice in consecutive tournaments, but has also looked unimpressive in some of his wins, means the 2019 French Open promises to be the most “open” one in a long time.

Nadal heads to Madrid Masters next. But of all the claycourt tournaments, Madrid is perhaps his least favourite. Its high altitude and relatively quicker conditions make it suitable for players with a more attacking game.

Maybe Nadal's poor performance in his two favourite claycourt tournaments - Monte Carlo and Barcelona - will spur him to do well in his least favourite claycourt event. Or at least that's what his fans would be hoping.

Regardless, Nadal will need to win at least one Masters tournament, whether Madrid or Rome, if not both of them, to ensure that he goes to Paris full of confidence. Moreover, with every loss on clay, his aura of invincibility takes a beating.

It is not just players like Thiem and Fognini, but also his biggest rivals, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, who would feel buoyed by the fact that Nadal is not the overwhelming favourite this year. The fact that the French Open is the only Grand Slam that both Federer and Djokovic have won only once each, would be an added motivating factor for them.

It is now up to Nadal to erase the smiles off their faces, and regain his best claycourt form, before it is too late.