The Court Surface

The nature of the four major international tennis tournaments held each year dictates that a different surface be prepared at each grand slam. Traditionally the French Open at Roland Garros has always been contested on the red clay of Europe, a surface renowned for its bounce and relative slowness.

This ongoing tradition of having markedly different surfaces at the four major tennis tournaments was taken a step further in 2008 when the hard Rebound Ace of the Australian Open was replaced by a brand new court surface known as Plexicushion simply because the Rebound Ace was too similar to the DecoTurf court surfaces at Flushing Meadows, the venue of the US Open!

Clay, like grass, demands a specific type of shot making and movement and those players who enjoy battling it out from the baseline and are more defensive in their style of play are generally so much more adept on the surface than the booming serve and volley types.

Clay Favours those who employ a Western Grip

The surfaces of the courts at Roland Garros, including that of the centre court or Court Philippe Chatrier, are all made from crushed brick, hence the wonderful blush of the courts. All clay surfaces, be it the red clay of Europe and South America or the green clay of the United States, favour players who use the 'western grip', a grip that allows for more topspin.

Rafael Nadal, who is the current record holder for the most successive wins on clay, with 81, and has bagged four French Opens in a row, employs the western grip to great effect and can drive high bouncing balls with enormous power. He also moves remarkably well on clay, sliding into the ball during the stroke, instead of running and stopping before the shot, as on grass and hard court.

Justine Henin - Queen of the Clay Courts

Points are generally much longer on clay as there are fewer winners, so fitness is another imperative for a successful clay court technician. Justine Henin, who retired from professional tennis in 2008, was one of the most accomplished players on clay. Although she was diminutive in size, compared to some of her regular combatants - think Serena and Venus Williams or Amelie Mauresmo - her primary weapons were the variety in the shot making, her unbelievable speed and acceleration around the court, her fancy footwork and her ability to slice the ball.

Big Boys Don't Cry - Federer Joins a Stellar Cast of Non-Performers on Clay!

Pete Sampras, Boris Becker and John McEnroe were all players who relied on the power of their serve, and none of these stellar performers ever won in Paris. Roger Federer, who until very recently has dominated the men's game, has also never won at Roland Garros and his movement on clay has never been as fluid and elegant as his movement on grass or hard court. Even though he hired a specialist clay court coach for his 2008 French Open campaign, he never quite mastered the surface that year, perhaps his 2009 effort will be his turning point.