Rafael Nadal: The King of Roland Garros is Back

The Spanish tennis player is regaining his image as the "king" of clay courts at his peak, with what he is showing at the 2017 French Open.

Since the start of the tournament, Nadal has needed an average of 90 minutes to win a match - the fastest of any player in the quarterfinals. The Spaniard has lost just 22 games in five matches, an average of more than four games per match. In the history of the Grand Slam, no player has reached the semi-finals with fewer games than Nadal.

The "King" of Clay is Back.

That's what the tennis world is saying about Nadal, after three titles in Monte-Carlo, Barcelona and Madrid that Nadal won. The way the world number four "destroyed" his opponents in Paris this year only reinforced that opinion.

Nadal is in top form on his home turf after years of struggling with injuries. Photo: Reuters.

Nadal has never felt threatened by any of his five opponents at Roland Garros 2017. The Spaniard has a very high percentage of second serve points, at 76%. He also has no trouble scoring points, with 62% of Nadal's winning points coming in under four hits. Once again, fans were treated to Nadal's signature shot: a forehand down the line that curves into the court, leaving opponents standing and watching.

"The forehand is the key to Nadal's return to the top," said Craig O'Shannessy, a tennis expert who provides tactical analysis on the ATP World Tour. "At Roland Garros, Nadal won 61 forehand winners with ground strokes, mostly down the line."

Nadal was once considered a player who thrived on his physical style, willing to play long-distance with his opponents while standing on the baseline. But 2017 was a different story. Nadal was still physically strong, but only 56% of his winners came from the baseline. The Spaniard would attack quickly from the start, stuffing his opponent’s backhand and then hitting a forehand down the line.

The main credit for Nadal's return to top form comes from Carlos Moya. After six months of working with the former Roland Garros champion, Nadal has been injury-free and has had positive results.

Moya's new training methods and tailored lessons are said to be the catalyst that helped Nadal return to being the King of Clay.

"I think he's very close to 100 percent," Moya said. "It's hard to compare Nadal now and Nadal of the past. If he's not at his best yet, he's very close to his prime."

Nadal is only one wayRecord 10 Roland Garros titlestwo more wins. The Spaniard's semi-final opponent is Dominic Thiem, who beat him at the Rome Masters a few weeks ago. If he reaches the final, Nadal will face either Andy Murray or Stan Wawrinka.

"It's hard to say for sure that Nadal will win the title," said seven-time Grand Slam winner John McEnroe. "There's no doubt that Nadal is the favorite. But I don't think it's a done deal."

According to VNE