Great players don't gripe, they just play

Since the start of the Masters tournament, both have showed their distaste for the court, claiming it is slippery, with bad bounce and movement. Their premature exits were the last straw. After losing their matches, Nadal to Fernando Verdasco in the third round and Djokovic to Janko Tipsarervic in the quarter-finals, they threatened not to return in 2013 unless the organisers revert to the traditional red clay. That’s harsh.

The decision to switch from red to blue clay in Madrid was made by former ATP chief executive Adam Helfant, reasoning that the colour would make it easier for viewers to follow the yellow ball. He was right on this point as the blue court looks camera friendly to home audiences who are perplexed by the new phenomenon.

But to players, it seems it doesn’t work in their favour. Apart from the slippage issue, the court is faster than the red clay. Since it differs from all other clay courts heading into the French Open, Madrid blue has become an undesirable thing for many players.

With so much fuss in the air, tournament promoter Ion Tiriac came out to apologise. He explained that to prevent players from getting injured, the court base was rolled with too much pressure. Therefore, the blue sand could not meld with the base. He also explained that efforts have been made every day to improve the conditions.

However, to this point, there’s been no sign that Madrid will return to the red clay next year. Tiriac remained positive that the blue surface will be comfortable to play on all year round. He also said that the ATP must deal with these players – by telling them to play or face sanctions next year. That’s quite something.

On the other hand, there are some players who didn’t show open hostility against the blue clay. Former world No 1 Serena Williams, for instance, is fine with it despite having some difficulties. She said if she didn’t come back next year it wouldn’t be because of the surface.

“This is a tough surface and it’s extremely slippery. That’s an element you cannot control and it goes for every clay court,” she was quoted as saying after crushing Maria Sharapova 6-1 6-3 on Friday.

I’m inclined to agree with Serena and appreciate her professionalism. Of course Serena loves fast surfaces and appears to have adjusted well to this one-of-a-kind clay, but as a professional player you just cannot blame it on something else. When you lose it’s either you play a better opponent or play below par. You’ve got only yourself to blame.

As a Nadal fan, I’m quite surprised but above all disappointed that he kept complaining about the surface. Let’s not forget that in the match against Verdasco, which he eventually lost 7-5 in the third set, Nadal was leading 5-2 before losing five games in a row. 

So the court cannot be that bad, because he was just a game away from victory. Besides, he tamed Nikolay Davydenko 6-2 6-2 in the second round. The Spaniard prefers slow surfaces, but the Madrid blue is not slow. What exactly is the problem?

Roger Federer doesn’t appreciate the blue court, either. But so far he has not made any strong remarks about it. He appears to adjust well to everything, just like when he won almost every tournament he entered during his prime.

My point is, a great player, to win a match or a tournament, must be able to play, no matter what circumstances they are in. Come rain or shine, on grass, cement or dirt, it’s their job to be able to get accustomed to it. At the end of the day, those who can adjust survive. It’s the law of nature.