Rafael Nadal vs Bjorn Borg: Who is the greatest claycourt player of all time?

Bjorn Borg and Rafael Nadal – the two foremost claycourt masters of tennis history

At the slightest mention of clay court champions, there are two names that immediately pop up in everybody’s minds – the first one being that of yesteryear legend Bjorn Borg and the second being that of contemporary master Rafael Nadal. Both these men, one from Sweden and the other one a Spaniard, are considered to be the Kings of Clay, and rightfully so! They have won 14 French open titles between them, with Nadal having the edge over Borg, with two extra wins.

As is the norm, and for a long time now, Nadal and Borg have been compared with regard to various aspects of their games including their agility, strengths and their overall clay court careers. The comparisons were at their peak in the years 2011 and 2012, when Nadal was all set to match the record number of French Open wins that Borg had amassed (that being 6 victories), and then to take over the record and go down in history books as the first player to win seven French Open titles.

The equalling of the record took place in the year 2011 at the Roland Garros stadium. The eyes of all tennis fanatics worldwide were on Nadal, as he took on one of his arch rivals and fellow great Roger Federer in the finals. And Nadal did not disappoint. He won the title that year, and the next year, and also the year after that! By doing that, he managed to go two up on Borg. Nadal even has more overall claycourt titles wins in various tournaments than Borg – 42 to 30. So statistically speaking, Nadal has to be considered as the greatest clay court champion of all time.

But there is more to tennis than mere statistics. Borg was a claycourt beast for a reason – he could outlast anybody on the tennis court, and his consistency had to be seen to be believed.

The game has become a lot more competitive now with players being well prepared and well aware of the opponents’ strengths and weaknesses. Yet, if Nadal and Borg were to have a match now, and if we could magically take away 30 years of Borg’s age making the two the same age, it’s difficult to say who would come out on top. Nadal would have the edge in the topspin department, with his vicious divebombing shots putting the Swede into uncomfortable positions. But Borg, on the other hand, might have a slight advantage over Nadal in terms of agility, stamina and flair for chasing down every single ball.

All said and done, one must not forget that Bjorg chose to retire at the age of 26, which can be considered more than a little irregular. Had he continued, he might have had a lot more wins on claycourts, maybe even forcing Nadal to win, say, 5 or 6 more titles to tie or surpass him. Who knows! But that really does not take anything away from Nadal’s victories; at this point in time he is the greatest claycourt champion of all time. Well, statistically speaking at least.