In 2010, Rafael Nadal added a new feat to his career. The conquest of Monte-Carlo, Rome, Madrid and Roland Garros during the same season positioned him as the only player to achieve such an achievement in the history of the circuit.
The domain of the manacorí in Monaco He had started years ago but the sixth medal gave the green light to a series that has him as the undisputed protagonist until today. Located in position No. 3 in the ranking, he advanced without too many complications -he only gave up 14 games along the way- until the final that he defined against his compatriot Ferdinand Verdasco.
Days after, Rome welcomed its defending champion with open arms. On the way to the title, he only gave up one set against Ernests Gulbis in the penultimate instance of the event. After unlocking that challenge and for the second consecutive time at the conclusion of a contest he had to reign against a fellow countryman: David Ferrer.
In Madrid history seemed more distant due to how elusive the stage had been for Nadal until then. Compared to his dominance in previous tournaments, he had only won one edition there five years ago. The last antecedent was the fall in the definition of 2009 against Roger Federer. But the momentum he brought was enough to kick any doubts as he moved up the frame. Nicholas Almagro he was the only one who could take a set from him but, after turning it around, ‘La Fiera’ continued his course until the defining stop. There he managed to redeem the result of the previous year against the Swiss, No. 1 in the world at the time, and accelerated to the maximum event of the tour.
After a mandate that had him as a central figure between 2005 and 2008Nadal returned to Roland Garros willing to regain the throne after the interruption he experienced in the edition that ended up in the hands of Federer. With the three M1000 titles behind him, the Spaniard began the final stretch of a historic campaign on the European surface. With triumphs over Zeballos, Hewitt, Almagro, Melzer and his executioner in the previous edition, Soderlingamong others, the king of brick dust gave rise in 2010 to ‘Clay Slam’ with a performance that to date has not been matched by any of the players that make up the elite of world tennis.
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