Rafa on red clay.
In the history of sports, there’s never been a better fit.
While watching Rafael Nadal grunt and grind his way to another French Open championship Sunday, I pondered a possible equivalent to his record-setting achievement: 1 venue. 12 championships.
Two days later, I’ve stopped searching. It’s an empty, futile quest. Nadal is without question, and by far, the most successful player to ever dominate a singular event at the same location.
There are candidates – internationally and locally – but none come close to the improbable feat of lifting the same individual trophy a dozen times.
In DFW, we’ve been treated to the storied successes authored by Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Roger Staubach at Texas Stadium. By Ed Belfour in the crease at Reunion Arena. By Pudge Rodriguez behind the plate at Globe Life Park. And by Dirk Nowitzki at the free-throw line in American Airlines Center.
Their success rates, most which required the help of teammates, pale in comparison to Nadal. In 15 years of matches at Roland Garros – all but a handful on famed Court Philippe Chatrier – the Spaniard has not only won 12 titles (12 for 12 in the finals) but amassed an astounding match record of 93-2.
Ninety-three and two. By my math, that’s a winning percentage of 98%.
I mean, I can’t even type my name correctly 93 out of 95 times. And 12 championships? No way I can even leave the house a dozen times without forgetting this or that.
His record is simply astonishing. Wholly incomparable.
This year Nadal bludgeoned Dominic Thiem into submission with the same weaponry that’s time and again proven indefensible on the clay: Repetitive brutality. He weakens opponents with his skill (the lefty, hooking forehand), then knocks them out with his will (the effort to track down every single ball). Even at 33, he’s fit enough to play every point like it’s the first of the match and feisty enough to play every point like it’s the last of the match.
He is the perfect horse for the perfect course. We may never see another duo this dynamic.
There are other scenarios that are synonymous with success. Sinatra in the Big Apple. Hef at Playboy Mansion. Gravy atop our biscuits. And in sports, such as Lance Armstrong in yellow (with a little *help), Joey Chestnut with a mouth full of hot dogs on July 4th and the Harlem Globetrotters exploiting the Washington Generals. For people paired with places, it’s Kareem in the paint, Jordan in the air, Brady in the Super Bowl and James Holzhauer on Jeopardy!. But even the “House that Ruth Built” and Gretzky’s “office” behind the net don’t emote the aura of Rafa at Roland Garros.
Nobody, nowhere can touch Nadal’s 12 in Paris.
Richard Petty is the King of the Daytona 500 with … seven wins. Same for Clarence DeMar and the Boston Marathon.
Nicklaus at Augusta? Six. Tiger in a Masters green jacket? Five. Hogan won no tournament (U.S. Open) more than four times, and did so on four different courses. Byron Nelson won two Masters among his five majors.
No driver has won the Indy 500 more than four times.
Muhammad Ali was 56-5, winning three titles.
For team triumphs, Bill Russell won 11 rings with the Celtics and Henri Richard 11 Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens. Yogi Berra got to 10 with the Yankees. Jordan won six NBA Finals. As dominant as UConn women’s basketball has been, the Huskies never won more than four straight titles. For all his legendary greatness, Brady is 6-3 in the Super Bowl.
The closest individual feat to Nadal? Edwin Moses’ 10-year unbeaten streak in the 400-meter hurdles. From 1977-87, Moses won 122 consecutive races. Though the distance and hurdles remain unchanged, obviously he won at multiple tracks and stadiums.
In DFW we’ve been able to witness personal performances that barely flirt with Nadal.
From 1998-2001, it was Belfour at Reunion. But as superb as he was in net with a 1.8 goals-against-average, the goalie that led to the Stars to consecutive Stanley Cup Finals went only 27-13 (66%) in home playoff games in the loud, old barn.
Also in the ’90s, Pudge powered the Rangers at Globe Life Park. In home games over 10 seasons in Arlington he averaged .321 with 11 homers and 41 RBI. Those Rangers, however, only went 419-337 (55%) in the regular season and Pudge never won a home playoff game, going 0-4 against the Yankees.
Staubach was 46-12 (79%) at Texas Stadium in the regular season during his nine-year career, but only 5-3 in the playoffs.
Not surprisingly, the closest superlatives to Nadal are from three DFW icons: Smith, Aikman and Nowitzki.
Aikman and Smith played on Cowboys teams that went 7-1 (88%) at Texas Stadium in the playoffs, the only loss in 2000 to the Cardinals. In those eight games, Aikman completed 65% of his passes but threw eight interceptions. Smith scored 10 touchdowns, but averaged a relatively modest 93 yards on 20 carries. Both went 3-0 in Super Bowls, but each in a different stadium.
Dirk is our Rafa.
In 65 playoff games at American Airlines Center, Nowitzki’s teams went 40-25 (62%) while he averaged 26 points per game. But he comes closest to mimicking Nadal when he stepped to the free-throw line.
In the 65 games Dirk missed only 66 free throws, going 528 of 594 (89%) in moments that mattered most. As money as he was on the clutch, unguarded 15-footer, Nowitzki made playoff free throws at a lower rate than Nadal wins points, games, set and trophies in France.
We have no match for Rafael Nadal. That’s OK, because neither does anyone, anywhere, else.
