Rafael Nadal wants the ATP Tour to work on protecting the clay-court events, as he blames the numerous injuries sustained by players on the fact that they must play so many events on hard courts.
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The Spaniard – who yesterday rose back to world No. 3 after claiming the Argentina Open title in Buenos Aires on Sunday – has struggled with knee and back problems throughout his career, injuries that he feels are exacerbated by having to compete more and more on hard surfaces in a calendar year.
“Clay is a traditional surface of our sport, we need to protect that. Sport is bigger when you combine new and show events with traditional events,” said Nadal after defeating his friend and doubles partner Juan Monaco 6-4, 6-1 in the final in Argentina.
“We are changing more and more tournaments from clay to hard surfaces but the hard surface is more aggressive so there are more and more injuries. You can check on the tour (statistics) that many players have injuries so there is something we are doing badly, the people who manage (tennis), that is not right.”
The Acapulco tournament is the latest to switch from clay to hard courts, and Buenos Aires organisers are contemplating a similar move. Of the 61 tournaments listed on the ATP calendar, 34 are played on hard courts in 2015.
“In my opinion, it’s important to be healthy not only during your career but also afterwards because you have a life outside tennis and after your career. Most of the players on the tour like sport in general so we want to keep having chances to practice sport and enjoying life,” said Nadal.
“When I finish I would like to be able to play a game of football with friends but playing so much on hard courts complicates that.”
Nadal’s triumph in Buenos Aires was his first since he won a ninth French Open title at Roland Garros last June.
It was the Mallorcan’s 65th career crown on all surfaces, moving him into sole possession of fifth place on the Open Era all-time list led by the 109 titles of American Jimmy Connors. He broke out of a tie for fifth with Bjorn Borg and Pete Sampras.
“They have an impressive history,” Nadal said of Sampras and Borg. “That’s why it is an honour to be compared to them.”
.@RafaelNadal passes #Borg & #Sampras for solo fifth place on the Open Era titles list with his 65th crown. Next up? #McEnroe at 77.
— ATP World Tour (@ATPWorldTour) March 1, 2015
He claimed his 46th career clay-court title, second-most in the Open Era behind the 49 of Argentina’s Guillermo Vilas. Most importantly, the victory showed Nadal is headed in the right direction.
The Spaniard, who battled injury last year after his Roland Garros triumph, exited early in Qatar and fell in the quarter-finals at the Australian Open in January. He had fallen to fourth in the world after a semi-final loss to Italian Fabio Fognini in Rio de Janeiro last week, the first time he hasn’t figured in the top three since August 2013.
“I’m coming off a season that has not been easy – injuries, accidents,” said Nadal, who had to cope with wrist trouble and an appendectomy in 2014.
