Clay lover
Legend
In my opinion, Fed and Nadal are pretty close on clay and grass. Nadal is better than Fed on clay in a similar margin to Fed is better than Nadal on grass. But the difference lies in hardcourts.
Nadal has won some hardcourt titles, but he has never gotten into a final of a hardcourt slam, let alone winning one. Which leaves me with a question: "has he ever beaten a top ten player in a hardcourt slam?" 3 setters are enormously different from 2 setters.
His game just don't shine on hardcourts. The topspin shots does not skid in Wimbledon or bounce ridiculously high in the FO. It just stays up within spanking height on hardcourts especially when the ball is short. The athleticism was useful but it did do damage to his body. It doesn't help when he is defensive most of the time, too, allowing good hc players to move him around and further break his game apart.
Nadal has got his chances when people were more unfamiliar to his game, but the furthest he reached was the 4r (not counting the lucky draw this year). Now, while his figured out game could still win on clay or MAYBE grass since it is too dominating, it would not do him any good on hardcourts.
Unless he changes his game to that of a more agressive and flathitting one, or pulls a Hewitt in the void of great hardcourt players, I don't see him winning a hardcourt slam in a billion years. But both I regard as highly unlikely.
Nadal has won some hardcourt titles, but he has never gotten into a final of a hardcourt slam, let alone winning one. Which leaves me with a question: "has he ever beaten a top ten player in a hardcourt slam?" 3 setters are enormously different from 2 setters.
His game just don't shine on hardcourts. The topspin shots does not skid in Wimbledon or bounce ridiculously high in the FO. It just stays up within spanking height on hardcourts especially when the ball is short. The athleticism was useful but it did do damage to his body. It doesn't help when he is defensive most of the time, too, allowing good hc players to move him around and further break his game apart.
Nadal has got his chances when people were more unfamiliar to his game, but the furthest he reached was the 4r (not counting the lucky draw this year). Now, while his figured out game could still win on clay or MAYBE grass since it is too dominating, it would not do him any good on hardcourts.
Unless he changes his game to that of a more agressive and flathitting one, or pulls a Hewitt in the void of great hardcourt players, I don't see him winning a hardcourt slam in a billion years. But both I regard as highly unlikely.
