UPDATED 10/5/18: Rafael Nadal has American great John McEnroe in his sights after beginning his Madrid Open campaign on Wednesday with a straight sets win over Gael Monfils.
The Spaniard has been racking up the records during the clay-court season, collecting his 11th titles in Monte Carlo and Barcelona.
Along the way the 31-year-old has extended his winning streak on clay to 20 matches and 48 consecutive sets – the latest result being a 6-3 6-1 drubbing of Monfils on Wednesday.
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That puts the world No.1 just one behind McEnroe’s ATP record of 49 straight sets on carpet during his stellar season of 1984.
And if he were to raise the trophy on Sunday, it would give Nadal a 78th singles title – taking him past seven-time Grand Slam champion McEnroe’s career tally of 77.
| Player | Titles |
| 1. Jimmy Connors | 109 |
| 2. Roger Federer | 97 |
| 3. Ivan Lendl | 94 |
| 4. Rafael Nadal | 77 |
| 4. John McEnroe | 77 |
Nadal, who now owns a 14-2 career record against the Frenchman, must win the title if he is to remain ahead of Roger Federer at the top of the rankings.
“I think the start of the clay-court season has been almost perfect for me,” Nadal told atpworldtour.com.
“I played great events in Monte Carlo and Barcelona, and here we are in Madrid. Always it’s very special for me to play here in front of the crowd.”
World No. 1 @RafaelNadal needs 4 sets to break John McEnroe's record for consecutive sets won on any surface. He plays for 2 of those sets vs. @Gael_Monfils at #MMOpen on Wednesday. @DjokerNole is also in action vs. No. 1 Brit @Kyle8Edmund. Media Notes: https://t.co/XmjLNmhIfG.
— ATP Media Info (@ATPMediaInfo) May 8, 2018
Nadal’s last defeat on clay came against Dominic Thiem in the quarterfinals of the Rome Masters 12 months ago.
One factor that might give rivals hope of derailing Nadal on the clay is the altitude in Madrid.
“This is a big change,” said the 16-time major winner.
“It’s probably the most difficult event to have control of the game on clay. You need more time to adapt.
“You need to be very focused all the time because your chances on the return are going to be less, and of course it’s so important to serve well.”
John McEnroe won 10 of his 49 sets on carpet at the Madrid Open in 1984; Getty Images
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