Rafael Nadal has always been known to be the greatest player of all time on the clay courts. However, on the WTA Tour, there was a player whose records still stand firm on clay. Chris Evert had a 125-match winning streak on clay, which has been untouched over the past four decades.
Evert was unbeaten on the surface for six years, from 1973 to 1979. She was banned from the French Open from 1976 to 1978, which makes the record all the more legendary. But Evert still managed to win seven titles at Roland Garros. The American featured in 13 editions of the French Open and only failed to reach the semifinals at least once, as per WTA records.
Fans have been comparing the stark contrast between Evert’s performance on clay against Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard holds a 91.33 percent winning record, while Evert has a 94.55 winning percentage. She recorded 71 bagels during her 125-match winning streak and won 72 consecutive matches from 1979 to 1981.
In terms of the winning streak, Nadal had won 81 consecutive matches from 2005 to 2007. The streak lasted two years as Nadal won 13 titles and defeated 52 players during his run on clay. The 19-year-old’s run started in the Monte Carlo Masters in 2005 and ended at the hands of Roger Federer in the Hamburg Final.
During his record run, Nadal defeated Federer five times before the Hamburg final. The teenager created havoc on the tour just like Evert, who was also 19 when she recorded the best-ever winning streak on clay in tennis history.
Clay court legacy of Chris Evert and Rafael Nadal
The red dirt has been the cause of trouble for even the best ones on the WTA and ATP Tours. But few players have managed to scale the toughest of mountains with relative ease. Evert and Nadal have set high benchmarks regarding the milestones on clay in the game.
Evert has won 10 Grand Slams on clay, including seven French Open wins and three US Open victories. The US Open during the mid-70s was held on clay. She also won the doubles title at the French Open twice. The former American player has won 70 clay court titles during her.
Evert, during her career, won 382 matches on clay and lost on 22 occasions. Meanwhile, Nadal has come a bit close to equalling her records.
The 37-year-old has won a record 14 French Open singles titles. He has won 63 titles on clay and 474 matches on the surface. Incredibly, Nadal has only lost 45 matches on clay courts in his career.
