Rafael Nadal is the man to beat in Monte Carlo
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Rafael Nadal has not won a title for nearly 12 months, but nobody would bet against him claiming a sixth straight title in Monte Carlo this week.
Before he was struck down by a knee injury during the French Open last June, Nadal was as dominant on clay as Roger Federer had been on grass. In nearly 200 career matches on clay, Nadal can almost count his defeats on two hands. It is a stunning record unmatched by anyone else.
After a swift ascent to the top of the rankings in the summer of 2008, Nadal's decline was just as hasty. But after fighting off his knee injuries, Nadal looks ready to re-establish his reputation as the king of clay.
In one of the most thrilling tennis matches in living memory, Nadal beat Federer on his own stomping ground to end the world No. 1's five-year winning streak at Wimbledon in June 2008.
He then went off to knock Federer off the No. 1 spot, the throne he had occupied uninterrupted for four years. To add insult to injury, Nadal then went on to take Olympic gold in Beijing. It looked as if Federer's reign at the top of the men's game was over.
Nadal was on red-hot form entering the 2009 European clay-court season. After a title at Indian Wells, Nadal went 19 matches unbeaten on clay as he scooped back-to-back titles in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome, before saving three match points against Novak Djokovic in Madrid to reach his seventh final in nine tournaments in 2009. However, he was beaten to the title by a resurgent Federer, who notched his first victory over Nadal since 2007 to end his barren spell with his first title since October 2008.
From then it all started to go a little pear-shaped. Nadal was far from his imperious best when he fell to Robin Soderling in the fourth round at the French Open, his first ever defeat at Roland Garros. After succumbing to a knee injury, Nadal missed out on the defence of his Queen's and Wimbledon titles and was not seen again until August. When he returned, he failed to make an impact or re-establish himself at the top of the world rankings.
At Monte Carlo, Nadal makes his first clay court appearance since that defeat to Soderling ten months ago, and tennis fans worldwide wait anxiously to see whether the Nadal of old will return to the court. Nadal is unbeaten in Monte Carlo since 2003. The Spaniard showed glimpses of his best tennis in Miami and Indian Wells, but lacked the killer touch to finish matches off.
"You can be born with all the talent in the world but if you lack passion you will not find a victory," Nadal said on his return to fitness. While many players may be accused of not always giving 100 per cent on court, Nadal's strengths lie in his fitness, power and never-say-die attitude.
It has been hailed as one of the greatest rivalries in sporting history, but the Rafa-Roger show was unexpectedly cut short by Nadal's knees. But after a brief interlude, it is set to be reignited.
After 19 meetings in four years, the two have not met since that momentous clash in Madrid last year. Federer is not playing in Monte Carlo but is expected to return in Rome in a fortnight. The Rafa-Roger era part deux starts here.
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Jo Carter
Jo Carter is an assistant editor of ESPN.co.uk
