Diego Schwartzman feels it's "almost impossible" to match Rafael Nadal's intensity on clay, says Spaniard commands "respect" moment he steps on court

In a recent interview with Filo News, World No. 13 Diego Schwartzman heaped praise on Rafael Nadal's prowess on clay. The Argentine admitted it is "almost impossible" to match Nadal's level of intensity on a claycourt and that players often admit defeat even before stepping onto the court against the Spaniard.

Rafael Nadal has been extremely dominant on clay for nearly two decades, winning a whopping 62 titles on the surface, including 26 of his 36 Masters 1000 crowns.

He has lifted a record 13 French Open titles and won 81 consecutive matches on clay, which is the longest single-surface win streak in the Open Era.

Diego Schwartzman, one of the few players to have beaten Nadal on clay, highlighted just how difficult it is for players to try and keep pace with the Spaniard on the surface.

"On clay, it is almost impossible to follow the rhythm and dominance that he (Nadal) has. Rafa is the one who imposes the most respect on you when entering the court. It is like you enter defeated," said Schwartzman.

Rafael Nadal at the French Open 2021

Schwartzman's only win over Nadal in 12 meetings came at the Italian Open last year. The Argentine stunned the Spaniard in straight sets in the quarterfinals.

Diego Schwartzman feels Roger Federer is a slightly easier opponent to face than Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer

In the interview, Diego Schwartzman also explained the differences when it comes to playing against Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. The Argentine pointed out that Federer is a lot more "relaxed" on court than Nadal and allows his opponents to feel their way into a match.

However, that's not the case with Nadal, who plays each point like it's the last of his career.

“Federer being so relaxed, sometimes he gives you a game. You enter the Nadal match, and it seems that everything from the first point to the last point, is the last in his career," mentioned the World No. 13.

“It imposes so much respect on you. It is very difficult to sustain what he does from minute zero," added Schwartzman.

Rafael Nadal returned to action after a long hiatus at the Mubadala World Tennis Championships earlier this month. The Spaniard lost to Andy Murray and Denis Shapovalov, but was still pleased with the performances he produced in Abu Dhabi.

Nadal tested positive for COVID-19 on his return to Spain, casting doubt over his participation at the Australian Open, a Grand Slam he hasn't won since 2009.