Reigning French Open champion Rafael Nadal is on a 19 match winning streak on clay, but former US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro and World No. 7 Dominic Thiem are capable of ending that remarkable run, according to former doubles World No. 1 Colin Fleming.
Nadal secured his 11th Barcelona Open crown on Sunday with a comfortable straight sets win over Stefanos Tsitsipas. It was the Spaniard’s second successive title on the red dirt after he claimed the Monte Carlo Masters trophy the previous week.
The Majorcan has lost just once on clay since 2017, a rather uncharacteristic defeat at the hands of Thiem in Rome last season and Fleming believes the Austrian will pose a threat to the 16-time Grand Slam champion yet again. He also tipped Del Potro to be the second biggest challenger to Nadal’s crown on clay after Thiem.
“We really do need one or two guys to step up, whether it’s Del Potro or Thiem or somebody, to step up and say ‘I can do this, I am ready to compete with them’,” Fleming told Express Sport.
“They need to raise their game – the game needs it.
“That is the hope. [Thiem] certainly hasn’t played well enough this year to look like threatening. But who knows, maybe he can pull it together.
“Del Potro is a good clay-court player so perhaps he can do it.
“He has been hitting the ball beautifully.”
“Rafa is truly remarkable, but should we really expect him to walk in after a prolonged injury break and win his 11th Roland Garros title as well?” Former doubles specialist Todd Woodbridge said last month.
“The answer should be no. He will though – if this younger generation don’t hurry up and look at ways to try and break down his game.
“It’s worrying how players seem beaten before they even walk on court against Rafa.
“With the exception of Nick Kyrgios, most players are overawed and lack any strategy; they’re just happy to be on court in the company of the great man.
“Who realistically can stand up and make that mental and tactical adjustment to their game this clay-court season and put some pressure on Rafa?
“There are only three players who I see have the ability to stop Rafa from completing yet another sweep of the year’s big clay-court titles – Novak Djokovic, Juan Martin del Potro and Dominic Thiem.”
