Rafael Nadal won his 12th French Open title on Sunday, a quite remarkable achievement which took him to 18 Grand Slams Titles. Nadal now 33, will always be the “King of Clay”, and as long he keeps playing will be the overwhelming favourite to win at Roland Garros. Here are the top 5 players that can challenge Rafa on clay in the near future.
1. Dominic Thiem
The Prince of clay had a remarkable clay court season this year as he reached the finals of the French open yet again. The Austrian put on a valiant effort before going down in 4 sets to Nadal in the final. Thiem defeated Nadal and Barcelona and went onto to win the title at Barcelona. Thiem has a game which is most suited for Clay surface, as he uses the right type of spin which works extremely well on clay. He has a brilliant forehand and a strong backhand that overall enhances his game. Thiem is young and has a lot of years left in him, if he keeps working hard he will definitely be the front runner to challenge or maybe replace Rafa on clay.
2. Alexander Zverev
The 22 year old is perhaps the most talented player on tour, the German has already won three Masters 1000 events out of which two of them has been on clay. Zverev is well over 6 feet who has a huge serve, he is fit as well and can move swiftly on court. Zverev’s biggest asset is his backhand with which he can score winners on both sides of the court. He also has a forehand that improving with each passing day and at just 22, Thiem has plenty of time on his side, he will definitely win a grand slam in near future and the French open might just be his first. His overall game has the ability to challenge Rafa on clay making him a sure shot contender next year when the clay season begins once again.
3. Stefanos Tsitsipas
The 20 year old from Greece is a Future star of Tennis. He has already defeated both Nadal and Federer in his short career. Tsitsipas knocked over Nadal at Madrid on clay earlier this year in straight sets and showed everyone that he can win against the best even on clay. Tsitsipas serve is his greatest asset, as he rarely makes errors in his service games. He would definitely be one of the top contenders to replace Nadal on clay and overall win plenty of Grand Slams.
4. Denis Shapovalov
The 20-year-old rising star from Canada will certainly be a force in the years to come in tennis. The left hander has already defeated Nadal in his Career at Rome in 2018 in straight sets. He has a brilliant forehand, Shapovalov is a dominant player from the back of the court and he is the one making the points and errors with the forehand. His second biggest strength is his service as he has the ability to exploit every side on the court whether it be wide or down the line.
5. Karen Khachanov
The 23-year-old from Russia played an epic match against Nadal in the 3rd round of the US open. The king of clay reigned supreme against the rising star in 4 tight sets, but Khachanov showed his game on the biggest stage. He will definitely be one to watch out for next year on the red soil.
