Five things you can learn from Rafael Nadal’s victory in the Roland Garros final.
1. ADOPT A WARRIOR’S MENTALITY
As any past champion at Roland Garros will attest, you can’t win on clay without suffering. Just look at Rafael Nadal, who played every point against Mariano Puerta as if it were the most important one he would ever play. Your willingness to push beyond your own personal limits of endurance can often be a barometer of how effective you’ll be. Come to the court rested, hydrated, and prepared for a long battle. Bring extra shirts, socks, wristbands, energy bars, and anything that will help sustain you. Preparing in every way, especially in your mind, for the physical challenge ahead is one big step toward finding a way to win.
2. WORK QUICKLY AT NET
If you’re looking to win points at the net on a clay court, do your best to get it done with just one volley. A talented claycourter, mover, and defender like Nadal isn’t threatened by net-rushers. Puerta had some success at the net, but if he didn’t finish quickly with a drop volley or putaway, he was in trouble. If you need to hit more than one or two volleys to close out a point, you’ll likely end up losing it.
3. LOOK TO MOVE INSIDE THE COURT
Playing with controlled aggression is an essential component of clay-court tennis. Take advantage of chances to dictate play or gain control of points by recognizing where you stand in the rally—literally. If you’re inside the baseline, you have more chances to gain the upper hand in the point by using angles, increasing power, or introducing the drop shot. When Puerta had his greatest successes, winning the first set and reaching set point three times in the fourth, this was the tactic he used.
4. BE POISED YET PASSIONATE
Nadal is a master at using his emotions effectively. He’s rarely critical of himself when things are going badly. Instead, he applies himself intensely to what he needs to do to improve his play. And when things are going well, he rewards himself by celebrating his stellar shot-making. His fist pumps are a means to build belief and reinforce his winning ways. They also send a message to his opponent: My game is on and you better keep up. Play with passion; it can be a source of tremendous energy. Keep it respectful, not in your opponent’s face, and it just may work for you.
5. BUILD MOMENTUM
Like Nadal in the second and third sets, getting on a roll in a clay-court match can go a long way to putting you in the winner’s circle. One trick to making it happen is to look to win consecutive points, particularly at the start of a game. Don’t be satisfied taking one at a time—get greedy and focus on capturing back-to-back points. This puts you in the driver’s seat in that game and puts the pressure squarely on your opponent, who must deal with playing from a deficit. If you consistently win consecutive points, you’re going to be pleased with the end result.