Rafael Nadal is in “mauling” mode at this Roland Garros edition to demolish once again all the opponents that are on his way. The King of Clay has now an astonishing 81-2 win-loss record at the French Open, and he seems unbeatable.
Many agree that to have a chance against Rafa in Paris you need to do something different because if you play “standard tennis,” you just do not have any chance against him. A clear example is what Dustin Brown has achieved against Nadal. The German has a 2-0 win-loss record against the Mallorca after beating him in Halle and Wimbledon. Of course, Rafa is not a grass court specialist (still he has 2 Wimbledon under his belt), but Dustin achieved that feat has he used his unpredictable tennis giving absolutely no rhythm to Rafa.
Noha’s recipe
When asked about the correct tactic against Rafa, Yannick Noah, the 1983 Roland Garros champion, commented
“I’d serve underarm and I’d hit only drop shots, and if he’s at the net I will hit it at him. You have to try something.”
Is this the correct tactic?
| WHEN DUSTIN ANNIHILATED RAFA |
| YANNICK WINNING THE ROLAND GARROS |
| Embed from Getty Images |
