Rafael Nadal’s bulldozing form saw the Spaniard skip past world No. 10 David Goffin on Saturday to reach an 11th Barcelona final and post a 400th career match win on clay.
The Mallorcan is just the fourth man in the Open Era to enter the 400 club on the surface and is the first to win at least 400 matches on both clay and hard courts.
After going down an early break to Goffin in Saturday’s semi-final, Nadal sped to a 6-4, 6-0 success over the Belgian to take his streak to 44 consecutive sets won on clay. He faces 19-year-old Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas in Sunday’s final.
The 31-year-old Nadal has also claimed his last 18 matches on the red dirt, with his last defeat coming to Dominic Thiem in the Rome quarter-finals last May.
Here’s an inside look at how Nadal reached 400 clay wins…
Egypt’s Mohamed Safwat one victory away from historic Challenger title in Anning
OPPOSITION
Of the 400 victories on the surface, 85 of them came against top-10 opponents. Nadal is 4-0 against top-10 players on clay in 2018, and 85-16 lifetime. Against top-five rivals, he is 48-12 on clay.
TITLES
Nadal’s 400 triumphs include a record 54 titles won on the terre battue. He has claimed an unprecedented 10 Roland Garros crowns, 11 Monte Carlo trophies and 10 Barcelona titles.
He is into his 63rd career final on clay and is 54-8 win-loss in those finals.
BAGELS
58 of Nadal’s 400 clay wins included at least one bagel set claimed by the Spaniard.
STRAIGHT SETS
Of Nadal’s 400 clay wins, 328 of them were secured in straight sets. The 31-year-old hasn’t dropped a set on clay since his defeat to Thiem in Rome 2017.
WINNING RATE
Nadal’s winning percentage on clay is a stunning 91.9 per cent (400-35 win-loss). In 2018, he is 11-0 on the surface and is now 57-3 lifetime in Barcelona.
STREAKS
Nadal has amassed multiple different streaks on clay over the years. Between 2005 and 2007, he won 81 clay matches in a row, which remains the longest winning streak on a single surface in the Open Era in men’s singles.
He also has the longest streak for most consecutive sets won on clay in the Open Era. Nadal has registered five streaks of 30 or more sets won in a row on the red dirt. Here are the leaders in that category:
Sets Year(s)
44 Rafael Nadal 2017-18
35 Guillermo Coria 2003-04
34 Ilie Nastase 1973
32 Rafael Nadal 2010-11
31 Rafael Nadal 2007-08
30 Rafael Nadal 2012
30 Rafael Nadal 2006-07
* Stats via ATP match notes and Tennis Abstract
