Rublev: "Real tennis is played on clay"

[Nadalfan2013]

Rublev - “The real tennis is played on clay, because it is the surface that requires you to think continuously, to be prepared for long and intense battles, to have a increased physical and mental endurance, and also to be smarter,” he explained. “On hard or fast, everything is more improvised because you hardly have time to think.”​

Andrey Rublev explains why 'real tennis' is played on clay over grass or hard court

Rublev recently won his first Masters 1000 title in Monte Carlo -- a clay tournament.

clutchpoints.com

Andrey Rublev: "The real tennis is played on clay-courts"

The Russian tennis player points to his favorite surface

www.tennisworldusa.org

 

[Nadalfan2013]

I see that fans of hardcourt/grass specialists like Djokovic and Federer have zero rebuttal and have chosen to ignore this thread. How predictable...

 

[Nadalfan2013]

@El Dude @Fiero425

 

[Kieran]

Rublev - “The real tennis is played on clay, because it is the surface that requires you to think continuously, to be prepared for long and intense battles, to have a increased physical and mental endurance, and also to be smarter,” he explained. “On hard or fast, everything is more improvised because you hardly have time to think.”​

Andrey Rublev explains why 'real tennis' is played on clay over grass or hard court

Rublev recently won his first Masters 1000 title in Monte Carlo -- a clay tournament.

clutchpoints.com

Andrey Rublev: "The real tennis is played on clay-courts"

The Russian tennis player points to his favorite surface

www.tennisworldusa.org

This is something that’s often been discussed in tennis: which surface truly reveals the game? Ivan Lendl invented the quote that ‘grass is for cows’ and a bunch of clay court players have recited this as a good reason for not testing their chops at Wimbledon.

But of course, the full name of the sport is lawn tennis, so if there’s an origin story there, then it takes place on a lawn. Both surfaces have their tendencies and challenges. Rublev actually points to the counter argument to his own opinion when he says that ‘on hard or fast, everything is more improvised because you hardly have time to think.’ To improvise is to display extraordinary reflexes, skill, wit, ingenuity. To imagine that endless pedantic rallies that are stubbornly repetitious is superior is to value a different set of virtues.

Both require a skill set. In defence of clay, you need to be at your very best to beat the very best on clay. You can’t simply swipe them off the court, given that they have more time to retrieve the ball. So clay court kings are less frequent an occurrence than hard or fast courts. But bear in mind the fact that the best on clay rarely flourish on fast courts, so to say they’re superior to players who do is a stretch.

Likewise, to dismiss grass court players as being inferior because they can’t trade their shots on clay is to fall into the same error…

 

[PhiEaglesfan712]

I disagree. Real tennis was played on carpet. I've never seen tennis played more beautifully than Pete Sampras on carpet at his peak. The worst mistakes in the history of tennis was not making the US Open carpet in 1978, and getting rid of the carpet surface altogether at the turn of the century. I would have loved to see how the games of Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, etc. would have translated to carpet.

 

[Fiero425]

I disagree. Real tennis was played on carpet. I've never seen tennis played more beautifully than Pete Sampras on carpet at his peak. The worst mistakes in the history of tennis was not making the US Open carpet in 1978, and getting rid of the carpet surface altogether at the turn of the century. I would have loved to see how the games of Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, etc. would have translated to carpet.

Tennis was a fringe sport way back when! Old pros played on what was available; wood chips, a carpet carried around, or even dirt! I personally taught and played on basketball Hardwood at a YWCA! The lines were down in red, yellow, green, & blue for different sports! It was a very quick surface and anticpation was a must! One false move and you were done in the point!

 

[Nadalfan2013]

I disagree. Real tennis was played on carpet. I've never seen tennis played more beautifully than Pete Sampras on carpet at his peak. The worst mistakes in the history of tennis was not making the US Open carpet in 1978, and getting rid of the carpet surface altogether at the turn of the century. I would have loved to see how the games of Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, etc. would have translated to carpet.

In other words if you are tall and can hit aces then you win.

 

[Kieran]

In other words if you are tall and can hit aces then you win.

Well this is one of the upsides of clay. Like I said, you need to be at your very best to beat the very best, you can’t just swipe left and they’re gone, if you get me. I still remember Krajicek v Sampras at Wimbledon in 1996, where the Dutch nemesis won via a giant serve. On clay you find yourself in a remorseless, drawn out battle that tests your strategic and tactical abilities too..

 

[don_fabio]

My list is:
1. Clay
2. Hard
3. Grass

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

My list is:
1. Clay
2. Hard
3. Grass

Didnt Marat Safin say "Grass is for Cows'

 

[Kieran]

Didnt Marat Safin say "Grass is for Cows'

Borrowed from Ivan Lendl, who should have copyrighted it, he’d be rich by now..

EDIT: correction! Manuel Santana seems to have preceded Lendl! Lawsuits to follow!

 

[Fiero425]

Borrowed from Ivan Lendl, who should have copyrighted it, he’d be rich by now..

EDIT: correction! Manuel Santana seems to have preceded Lendl! Lawsuits to follow!

View attachment 8127

With most major events played on grass way back when, I think Santana had to be some kind of NUT! IMO, it would be like Jordan coming back complaining about dribbling on a wood floor!

 

[Nadalfan2013]

My list is:
1. Clay
2. Hard
3. Grass

My list is:

1. Clay
2. Slam h2h
3. Olympics
4. Hard
5. Grass

 

[PhiEaglesfan712]

1. Carpet
2. Clay
3. US Open hard court (Laykold, DecoTurf)
4. Grass
5. AO hard court (Plexicushion, Rebound Ace)

 

[shawnbm]

I am a traditionalist so I think grass is the surface of them all, followed by the others. But, as I have said many times before, the best surface that allows all types of players from serve and volleyers to clay "rallyiers" is hard court. It gives a true bounce and is in between grass and clay.

 

[Fiero425]

I am a traditionalist so I think grass is the surface of them all, followed by the others. But, as I have said many times before, the best surface that allows all types of players from serve and volleyers to clay "rallyiers" is hard court. It gives a true bounce and is in between grass and clay.

Wimbledon's still "The Championship!" Newbies can't stand it that a surface only played on for a few weeks a season has so much reverence in the minds of purists! It'll be so for another decade or 2 until after we're all gone, buried, & forgotten! Early on, clay didn't have it until Borg took over the FO! He made clay relevant along w/ other clay court experts; Vilas, Wilander, Kuerten, Lendl, Nadal, & Djokovic! Federer might have been listed there, but couldn't overcome Nadal who beat him like a drum in so many finals!

 

[PhiEaglesfan712]

Wimbledon's still "The Championship!" Newbies can't stand it that a surface only played on for a few weeks a season has so much reverence in the minds of purists! It'll be so for another decade or 2 until after we're all gone, buried, & forgotten! Early on, clay didn't have it until Borg took over the FO! He made clay relevant along w/ other clay court experts; Vilas, Wilander, Kuerten, Lendl, Nadal, & Djokovic! Federer might have been listed there, but couldn't overcome Nadal who beat him like a drum in so many finals!

I guess that means Wimbledon will be making the transition to hard court some time between 2033-2043, when I'm 45-55 years old. I should be around for it.

 

[Fiero425]

I guess that means Wimbledon will be making the transition to hard court some time between 2033-2043, when I'm 45-55 years old. I should be around for it.

Hopefully I'll be long gone! It so diminished the USO back in the 70's when tennis exploded going from grass, to clay in '75, then finally HC in '78! It fell back in prestige IMO! FO & AO (though HC '88) zoomed past them, now a 2nd rate major though in my own country! I'm embarrassed they haven't gotten their act together in all these years to move it out of that #ell hole in NY!

 

[Moxie]

My list is:
1. Clay
2. Hard
3. Grass

I could go with that, with caveats. With no disrespect to @PhiEaglesfan712, carpet always seems disgusting to me. Would you carpet your bathroom? A tennis court full of sweat and spit, on a carpet? Aside from that, I have no time for people that want their tennis that fast. One-and-done is not interesting to me, and that's what carpet breeds, (aside from the ick-factor.)

Personally, I'd go with the classics, the natural surfaces, so I'd say grass over hards, even though grass is practically non-existent anymore. @Kieran makes the point that it's originally called "lawn tennis." Even though it was as much developed by the French as the English, or perhaps more, there is an argument in there.

As to your list, clay has always been my favorite, too. It seems to create more of the pitched-battle. I don't love the hard courts because they were essentially a way of being cheap, and at the risk of the players' joints. As surfaces, they're more consistent and controlable, to some extent, but they are basically played on top of concrete, which I don't think is great for the players. However, it's 3/4 of the tour and no one can change that.

 

[Moxie]

Hopefully I'll be long gone! It so diminished the USO back in the 70's when tennis exploded going from grass, to clay in '75, then finally HC in '78! It fell back in prestige IMO! FO & AO (though HC '88) zoomed past them, now a 2nd rate major though in my own country! I'm embarrassed they haven't gotten their act together in all these years to move it out of that #ell hole in NY!

Excuse me? What's wrong with the BJK Tennis Center? It's an excellent tennis venue. Where would you prefer that the USO be played, and on what surface?