‘King Of Clay’ Rafael Nadal Falls Behind Chris Evert In The Ultimate Battle For Greatness On Beloved Surface

Who is the greatest tennis player on the clay court? While most of the answers will point toward Rafael Nadal, there is no denying that his astonishing achievements on the clay court have been remarkable over the last 22 years. But let us have a look at the American who had once dominated women’s singles tennis during the 1970s and 80s. Who is she?

She is none other than the American former number one, Chris Evert. She is considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. A day ago, she celebrated her 69th birthday. Let’s have a look at some of her greatest achievements. Did Rafael Nadal trump Evert in the battle for the clay GOAT?

Rafael Nadal is still 7 titles behind the American legend

The 37-year-old Spaniard is one of the most successful players in the history of clay courts. Nadal has a 63-8 record in the clay court event’s finals and has won at least one of the three clay court Masters 1000 tournaments in a year between 2005-2014. In 2014, he became the first man in the Open Era to triumph in a single tournament 9 times in his career.

The ‘King of Clay’ also holds the longest single-surface winning streak in the Open Era (81 matches) between 2005-2007. He had won his first French Open title in 2005 and the last in 2022. Can 2024 be the year of the King for one last time in his favorite Grand Slam?

Well, let us have some patience and wait for the King to give to the answer. But till then let’s focus on Chris Evert, the ‘Queen of Clay’. Evert has been the epitome of dominance on clay court. She has won 18 major titles and out of those, 7 are in the French Open. Her 94.55% win record in the singles matches on the clay court still remains a WTA Tour record. Her 7 French Open singles title record stood firm for almost 27 years until Rafael Nadal broke it in June 2013.

But did Nadal manage to break all her records on clay? The answer is a big ‘No’. Chris Evert is the only player with the most clay court titles (70) in the Open Era, ATP and WTA combined. Rafa sits in second place with 63 titles.

After her retirement, Chris Evert took the role of coaching and analyst for famous television networks. She has covered almost all the Grand Slam events as a TV commentator. However, the ‘Queen of Clay’ won’t be seen in the upcoming Australian Open. 

READ MORE: 5 Most Heartbreaking Moments of the 2023 Season Ft. Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal

Chris Evert will miss the AO in 2024

A few days back, the American legend revealed that cancer had once again returned to her life. Evert was first diagnosed with ovarian cancer in December 2021. After that she underwent a preventative hysterectomy and then in January this year she declared herself ‘cancer free’.

But now things are looking grim for the 69YO after getting diagnosed with stage 1C ovarian cancer. She’ll now again have to undergo another round of chemotherapy and will miss broadcasting at the AO next month.

Evert said she never wanted to hear this news but at the same time, she feels fortunate it was caught early. Fans now pray for the quick recovery of the tennis legend and hope to hear her voice soon on television.

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