"I know I'm not just a claycourt specialist; I have lot of points on hard": When Rafael Nadal spoke on needing to prove himself outside French Open

Rafael Nadal once responded to the assertion that he needed to prove himself by winning Grand Slam titles outside the French Open.

Affectionately called the 'King of Clay,' Nadal is widely regarded as the greatest claycourt player in history. He triumphed at the French Open on his tournament debut in 2005, defended his title in 2006, 2007 and 2008, and has since amassed a whopping 14 titles there.

Following his triumph at the 2007 French Open, the Spaniard entered Wimbledon as the second seed. Ahead of his tournament opener, he was asked how important it was for him to win a Grand Slam title beyond the claycourt Major.

In response, Rafael Nadal emphasized the importance of securing titles on different surfaces, particularly in the Majors and Masters 1000 events. He highlighted that at the age of 21, he had won big tournaments on other surfaces and expressed confidence in making more improvements.

"For me very important every tournament, but especially if is Masters Series, Grand Slam, too. Is very important if is on clay, hard or on grass. Every Grand Slam I would love to win in any surface. Is clay, perfect," he said in a press conference.

"I just have 21 years old, so I can improve lot of things. I have good results in other surface. Final here, for example, last year. Won Montréal. Indian Wells this year. Madrid indoor, too. If I am playing well, I can have good results in all surfaces. If I arrive to US Open, for example, or here playing my best tennis, I'm going to have my best chances," he added.

When questioned about needing to 'prove himself' and his skills beyond clay by winning other Majors outside the French Open, the Spaniard dismissed claims of solely being a clay specialist.

He pointed out that the clay season was limited to merely four to five weeks and asserted that he had accumulated a lot of points on hardcourts over the rest of the season.

"Well, I know I'm not just a claycourt specialist, no, because I just play on clay.

"Bad luck for me because the calendar is difficult for the clay court players. I just can play four or five weeks maximum in clay. The rest of the season I play on hard, and I have a lot of points on hard," he said.

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Rafael Nadal reached the 2007 Wimbledon final

Federer (left) and Nadal

Rafael Nadal reached his maiden Wimbledon final in 2006, losing to Roger Federer in the final. The Spaniard was on the hunt for his first title at SW19 in 2007, kicking off his campaign with a 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3 win over Mardy Fish.

Nadal then beat Werner Eschauer 6-2, 6-4, 6-1 and claimed a hard-fought 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(7), 4-6, 7-5 victory against Robin Soderling. He advanced to the quarterfinals by beating Mikhail Youzhny 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.

Nadal emerged victorious against Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinals, winning 7-6(1), 6-4, 6-2. He advanced to the final after Novak Djokovic retired from their semifinal clash, with the Spaniard leading 3-6, 6-1, 4-1.

In a rematch of the 2006 final, Federer beat Nadal 7-6(7), 4-6, 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-2 to clinch his fifth consecutive title at the grasscourt Major.