The Andy Murray method: Tactics that toppled Rafael Nadal on clay

Great Britain's Andy Murray during the semi final (REUTERS)

Taking down Rafael Nadal on clay has long been considered one of the toughest challenges in tennis, and perhaps even in sport as a whole.

The Spaniard claimed a record 63 titles on the surface, finishing his career with a remarkable 90% win rate on clay courts.

Of those 63 titles, 14 were won at Roland Garros. Nadal’s first French Open title came in 2005 and his last in 2022.

Nadal’s reign over clay courts was unmatched, but he wasn’t unbeatable. Andy Murray found that out for himself in 2015.

That year, Murray beat Nadal in the final of the Madrid Open, something he credited to his ability to remain steady throughout the match.

Murray explained why he thought being steady and limiting errors was crucial against someone like Nadal on clay.

Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

How Andy Murray shocked Rafael Nadal in the 2015 Madrid Open final

Murray hadn’t beaten Nadal on clay before the 2015 Madrid Open, having lost their previous six meetings on the surface. Two of those defeats had come in French Open semi-finals.

But he arrived in strong form that week, dropping just one set before reaching the final, and carried that momentum into the match against Nadal.

The two-time defending champion was soundly beaten in straight sets as Murray sealed a 6-3, 6-2 win.

That result made Murray only the third and last player to beat Nadal in an ATP Masters 1000 final on clay after Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.

Asked after his win how he’d finally managed to get past Nadal on clay, Murray said: “Well, I played Rafa a number of times on clay, and I’ve actually played some good matches against him, like in Rome last year.

“I played at the French Open a few years ago. I lost, but I played a good match with him. Monte-Carlo I played well against him. So I played good matches, but just haven’t managed to win.”

“I think today I was just more consistent. I think in the second set, Rafa was starting to play better at the beginning of the second, the middle part of the second set.

“But I stayed strong in that period of the match, and he started to make some mistakes at the end that he wouldn’t normally make. That obviously helped me finish the match.”

Andy Murray felt Rafael Nadal made some unusual mistakes

Murray played brilliantly to beat Nadal that day, but the Spaniard admitted he wasn’t at his best.

“I think for me there were periods in the match where he played like he usually does, but there were also periods where he made more mistakes,” said Murray.

“The last game, for example, the last two returns of the match, one he missed long by three or four meters, and the next one he hit right into the bottom of the net.

“That for him is unusual. But there were periods of the match where we did play a lot of long rallies, and he started defending a lot better. When he was able to dictate points with his forehand, he’s still playing extremely well.

“Yeah, he did make more mistakes than he usually does. Also feel like I started the match very well. I think when someone is maybe not that confident, you know, I won like I think 12 out of the first 13 or 14 points. That immediately puts you on the back foot. That was important for me today.”

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