Mutua Madrid Open may not see Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal from next year – Tennis News
World’s top two tennis players, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, have threatened to boycott Mutua Madrid Open from next year if its owner continues to organise the event on blue clay.
Nadal, who is known as the King of Clay due to his incomparable record on his favourite red clay, had reservations about these blue courts since the day it was announced that this ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event would be played
at a new surface.
The Spaniard was worried that the experiment will make trouble for players who would be coming from red clay in Monte Carlo and after playing on this new blue clay will have to go back to red clay in Rome and Paris for Internazionali
BNL d’Italia and French Open respectively.
Nadal had said Madrid was already different from its closely scheduled events, as it is situated at a high altitude which makes it faster than others and this change of surface will further disrupt players’ preparation for the
Roland Garros. Djokovic and 16-time Grand Slam winner, Roger Federer, joined Nadal in the pre tournament criticism later.
These concerns were made before the start of the event, when players had not got feel of the courts but as tournament began and they started to play at this new surface, almost all of the top players slammed ATP and the event organiser,
Ion Tiriac.
Among the top three players, Nadal got an easy passage in the opening match but Federer and Djokovic needed three sets to topple their respective opponents.
However, the Spaniard went down in the round of 16, losing to compatriot, Fernando Verdasco, in three sets and failed to recapture his Madrid title.
Talking during the post match new conference, Nadal said, "The ATP and the tournament can do what they want. I tried my best to prepare but I wasn't good enough to adapt my game to this court. The only thing that I know is that
if things continue like this I am very sad but next year will be one less tournament in my calendar."
Nadal’s critics blame him that he always make excuses at his losses but this time it was not an excuse, as he was not alone who had problem with the blue clay court.
Moreover, the Spaniard entered this event in supreme form, grabbing back to back titles at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters and Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell. He was looking favourite to get back his title in Madrid.
Almost all the players on the ATP and WTA tour have criticised that the surface is too slippery and visibility is also bad. Djokovic, who lashed on the organizers after his first match, slammed them against after reaching the last
eight.
The Serbian said, "They are saying it's exactly the same as the red clay which is not true because there is a big difference. You are tripping and slipping and sliding all the time and winner will be the one who doesn't get hurt
until the end of the week because a lot of players fell down.”
Federer did not leave behind and shared that he did not feel comfortable on these courts from the start of this tournament.
Tiriac and ATP need to listen to the players, moving this ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event back to red clay from next year is the only solution for them or they will have to organise it without participation from top players.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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