Clay courts usually get a foul rap with the odd participant gripe repeated endlessly within the media, however the floor has a variety of huge upsides.
Right here we take a look at the ways in which a clay court docket is superior to the synthetic exhausting surfaces that now dominate the highest skilled excursions.
Because the 2022 schedule stands, the ATP Tour will stage 20 clay court docket tournaments this yr versus 38 on exhausting courts, each indoor and outside.
Clay courts are additionally usually characterised as anachronistic, however there’s a purpose so many golf equipment choose to make use of the maintenance-heavy floor.
1 Pure and eco-friendly
For on a regular basis and energy that has gone into discovering one of the best floor for tennis to be performed on the clay variations stay probably the most pure and eco-friendly.
Whereas a certain quantity of business equipment must be employed to keep away from the development of clay courts coming at the price of back-breaking labour, different courts take a far better toll and use parts which have a unfavourable environmental affect.
Grass courts in fact require using huge quantities of water and care as nicely.
Whereas clay requires fixed upkeep to make sure it stays degree, it’s in any other case an extremely sturdy floor.
As clay courts are product of crushed rock, bricks and gravel their environmental affect is minimal.
2 Fast to dry and safer when moist
Tennis has been at struggle with the climate since its invention, however stubbornly refuses to be moved indoors, at the very least not for too lengthy.
Rain stays the enemy at Grand Slams and in tournaments all over the world however clay is healthier geared up to deal with the weather.
Because it absorbs moisture, the floor additionally dries faster and is much less harmful to play on when moist. (Please notice: Much less harmful doesn’t imply secure. Don’t play tennis in mud.)
3 Improves participant stamina, endurance and toughness
Clay courts are widespread coaching surfaces for gamers with the upper bounce permitting for longer rallies.
These longer rallies in coaching and competitors construct stamina, develop endurance and will domesticate a sure toughness in each physique and spirit.
Clay court docket specialists and gamers who develop up on clay usually have these qualities in spades.
Rafael Nadal serves because the prime instance even when he’s such a novel athlete that deploying it reeks of cherry-picking. Nonetheless, there have been loads of gamers raised on clay who’ve dominated on exhausting courts.
4 Lowered danger of damage
Tennis accidents are all too usually associated to motion across the court docket and repetitive pressure.
Clay courts are much less susceptible to skidding and provide extra traction to gamers making them much less prone to endure a foul fall.
The courts are additionally softer and extra forgiving than exhausting courts if a participant does find yourself biting the mud.
5 Clay courts are cooler
Clay courts are cooler than their exhausting counterparts, making spending hours within the solar a littler extra tolerable.
Jannik Sinner’s blistered toes are a testomony to simply how scorching and uncomfortable a tough court docket can develop into, particularly in a spot like Miami.
It might seem to be a small factor however after the ‘Sunshine Double’ performed on courts that might be used as torture units, there will probably be loads of gamers relieved to the touch down on clay.
6 Pure tennis on clay courts
Skilled tennis is a world away from the mild forwards and backwards on Victorian lawns, however some purists crave a slower extra deliberate recreation.
The clay floor offsets the marvels of recent sports activities know-how, which might be high-end tennis rackets.
Longer rallies are a defining characteristic of clay court docket tennis and a top quality that endears the floor to hundreds of thousands of followers. It lends the game a distinct high quality when it develop into a check of endurance and craft somewhat than brute drive.