Rafael Nadal: Why the ‘King of Clay’ reigns in Paris

Rafael Nadal is known as the “King of Clay” and it’s not for his pottery skills.

The 16-time grand slam champion has won an unprecedented 10 French Open titles and is odds-on favorite to win an 11th.

No player in history has won as many grand slam titles at a single tournament.

The Spaniard won the French Open on his debut as a 19-year-old and came into this year’s event with a 79-2 win-loss record at Roland Garros.

Recently, he compiled a remarkable streak of 25 straight victories on clay and also set a record of 50 consecutive sets won on a single surface.

But what makes the greatest clay-courter of his generation so good on the slow red dirt?

Former grand slam winners Pat Cash, Mats Wilander and Yannick Noah talked CNN Sport through the Mallorcan’s game.

READ: Who can beat the King of Clay in Paris?

READ: Why Rafael Nadal is all at sea during his time off

Athleticism

Nadal's athleticism gives him an edge on clay.

“He’s unbelievably fast, and he can keep going forever, which helps on the clay,” Australia’s Cash, the 1987 Wimbledon champion, said in an interview at Roland Garros.

“He keeps getting the ball back, his speed and athleticism is just phenomenal.

“His footwork on the clay is amazing, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody move that quick on the clay.”

Top spin

Rafael Nadal is looking to stretch his Parisian domination to 11 French Open titles.

Nadal’s technique also sets him apart.

“We have never seen a player hit so much top spin before,” said Cash, who now coaches American Coco Vandeweghe.

“The power he puts into the shots and the top spin is just very, very hard to control on a slow court over five sets.

“The quicker the courts get, the harder it is going to be for him to actually create that top spin and the ball skidding through.

“But when he has a little bit of extra time, and he can move back further and give himself more time to hit, he’s able to hit the ball with more spin, which enables the ball to bounce higher and push the opponent around.”

Mental strength

Nadal's mental strength is "ferocious," says Pat Cash.

In addition to his technical abilities, Nadal’s mental strength is what truly sets him apart from the rest of the field.

“Mentally, he’s just ferocious,” Cash said.

“Clay is one of the toughest surfaces to be successful at, because you have to be focused all the time, the momentum can change very quickly.

“On grass or other courts, you can hold your serve, or hit a couple of big serves and stay in it, but not on the clay, you have to be persistent all the time.”

Rainy day

A lot has changed since a 19-year-old Rafael Nadal became only the second man in history to win Roland Garros at the first attempt. The bulging biceps, long hair and headband remain, but the Spaniard's sense of style has certainly changed.

2005 —

Nadal went into his first French Open as an inexperienced 18-year-old and emerged a grand slam champion -- beating Roger Federer in the semifinals on his 19th birthday. The 2005 season was the birth of what would go on to be Nadal's classic look: sleeveless top and three-quarter length shorts.

2006 —

By the following year, Nadal had cemented his place among tennis' elite and was developing a fearsome reputation on clay. This time wearing a slightly less garish light blue, Nadal picked up his second consecutive French Open title by becoming the first man to beat Roger Federer in a grand slam final.

2007 —

In 2007, the then 20-year-old Nadal's status as the 'King of Clay' was sealed. Defeat to Federer at the Masters Series in Hamburg ended an 81-match unbeaten streak on clay, which remains a men's Open Era record today. At that year's French Open, Nadal opted for the reverse of 2006's top-bandana combo -- this time with matching trainers to boot.

2008 —

A year later, Nadal opted for a variation on his debut French Option look, this time sporting an all-green combo. Nadal reached world No. 1 for the first time in his career in 2008, helped by his fourth consecutive Roland Garros title -- matching Bjorn Borg's record of consecutive trophies, while also becoming only the seventh man to win a grand slam without dropping a set.

2009 —

Nadal's first dramatic transformation came in 2009. Gone were the sleeveless shirts and three-quarter lengths, in came the sleeves and fluorescent, clashing colors. Perhaps it was the sleeves restricting the powerful arms (or maybe a knee injury), but Nadal suffered the first of only two French Open defeats. Despite a shock fourth-round loss to Robin Soderling, Nadal set a record of 31 consecutive wins at Roland Garros.

2010 —

In 2010, Nadal bounced back from the 2009 disappointment with a daring multicolored number. He went on to exact revenge on Soderling, beating him in the final after the Swede had upset Federer in the quarterfinals. Federer's failure to reach the semis meant Nadal regained the world No. 1 spot, while it was also the second time he won the French Open without dropping a set.

2011 —

The following year, Nadal dialed down the brightness, instead choosing to return to one of his earliest Roland Garros styles. And it worked -- he maintained his No. 1 ranking throughout the clay court season and beat perennial rival Federer in the final.

2012 —

Perhaps in an attempt to gain the upper hand on opponents by blending into the clay, Nadal opted for an orange-ish-red look for the first time at the French Open. It appeared to work, as Nadal dropped just 30 games in the first five rounds, before beating Djokovic in four sets in the final to claim his seventh Roland Garros title and surpass Borg as the tournament's most successful player.

2013 —

The 2013 French Open was the debut of Nadal's latest wardrobe change: the short shorts. In an all-Spanish final, Nadal defeated David Ferrer in straight sets -- although bizarrely dropped from fourth in the world to fifth after his victory.

2014 —

Perhaps a sign of entering into his late 20s, Nadal's colors switched from fluorescent to more mellow tones. Despite being hampered by injuries and suffering surprise defeats early in the clay court season, Nadal grinded out arguably his most impressive Roland Garros victory. Another victory in the final against Djokovic took him to 14 grand slams (level with Pete Sampras) and it was his fifth straight French Open triumph.

2015 —

Nadal's struggle to find form continued into 2015's clay court season, dropping outside of the world's top five for the first time since 2005. Looking like an athletic version of the Cookie Monster, Nadal crashed out of the French Open in the quarterfinals to Djokovic. It ended his 39-match unbeaten run and marked just his second defeat on the Parisian clay.

2016 —

The following year, the shorts got even shorter and the two-tone top returned as Nadal exited the French Open in the third round -- although this time it was a wrist injury that defeated him. Despite the disappointment, there was another milestone for Nadal as he became only the eighth man to reach 200 grand slam wins.

2017 —

Nadal debuted his strong blue look against Benoit Paire in the first round and the King of Clay went on to complete "'La Decima" of 10 Roland Garros titles.

French Open: Rafael Nadal's Roland Garros evolution

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For Nadal to lose at Roland Garros for only a third time, three things need to happen, according to three-time French Open winner Wilander.

“Rafa has to play somebody he is intimidated by in terms of talent, it has to be a rainy, wet day here at Roland Garros and Rafa must not play very well,” the former top-ranked Swede told CNN in Paris.

Nadal excels when it’s hot as his heavy top-spin shots kick up high – rain tends to dampen one of his main weapons, according to Wilander.

“With Alexander Zverev, I think we are seeing the building of the perfect player who could beat Rafa,” he adds.

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“He’s tall, a great two-handed backhand, a big serve, a bit reminiscent of Robin Soderling, the tall Swede who beat Rafa here once.”

Noah, the only French man since 1946 to win at Roland Garros when he beat Wilander in the 1983 final, says you have to think outside of the box to beat Nadal.

“I’d serve under arm and I’d hit only drop shots,” he jokes in an interview with Cash for CNN’s Open Court at Roland Garros.

“And if he’s at the net I’d hit it at him. You have to try something.”