The Andy Murray method: Tactics that toppled Rafael Nadal on clay
Great Britain's Andy Murray during the semi final (REUTERS) Taking down Rafael Nadal on clay has long been considered one of the toughest challenges in tennis, and perhaps even in sport as a whole. The Spaniard claimed a record 63 titles on the surface, finishing his career with a remarkable 90% win rate on clay courts. Of those 63 titles, 14 were won at Roland Garros.
Nadal’s first French Open title came in 2005 and his last in 2022. Nadal’s reign over clay courts was unmatched, but he wasn’t unbeatable. Andy Murray found that out for himself in 2015.
That year, Murray beat Nadal in the final of the Madrid Open, something he credited to his ability to remain steady throughout the match. Murray explained why he thought being steady and limiting errors was crucial against someone like Nadal on clay. Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images How Andy Murray shocked Rafael Nadal in the 2015 Madrid Open final Murray hadn’t beaten Nadal on clay before the 2015 Madrid Open, having lost their previous six meetings on the surface.
Two of those defeats had come in French Open semi-finals. But he arrived in strong form that week, dropping just one set before reaching the final, and carried that momentum into the match against Nadal. The two-time defending champion was soundly beaten in straight sets as Murray sealed a 6-3, 6-2 win.
That result made Murray only the third and last player to beat Nadal in an ATP Masters 1000 final on clay after Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. Asked after his win how he’d finally managed to get past Nadal on clay, Murray said: “Well, I played Rafa a number of times on clay, and I’ve actually played some good matches against him, like in Rome last year. “I played at the French Open a few years ago.