Post By : 2025-05-21"

What makes a good clay-court player?"

Jack Draper's recent run to the Madrid Open final, where he lost in three close sets to Casper Ruud, was the backbone of an impressive clay-court swing for the British number one.

But the French Open has historically not been synonymous with British singles success.

Andy Murray reached the 2016 final, but Sue Barker was Britain's last singles champion in the French capital back in 1976.

Last year all six Britons who competed in the singles went out in the first round - the third time that has happened this century.

At the time, Dan Evans said he and his compatriots were "in the best spot" on clay for "a long time"- and he may actually have had a point.

But what tools are needed to succeed on clay?

Fitness and stamina

Clay is a slower surface than grass, which means more rallies, more sliding and more running.

Take Iga Swiatek, for example. The four-time French Open champion is an outstanding mover. Her speed allows her to cover the court as efficiently as possible and recover quickly enough to help tee up her aggressive forehand.

Fitness is one of the reasons Draper has had success on the clay - a surface he did not have much experience or joy on before this year.

Draper retired injured on his French Open senior debut two years ago and later lamented being "the guy who's injured a lot" after retiring from three successive Grand Slam matches.

But bringing in team members focused on fitness - Draper has hired physio Shane Annun and fitness trainer Matt Little, both former members of Murray's team - has paid off.

Draper went through three successive five-set matches at the Australian Open and has been a constant presence on the tour since then.

After reaching the Madrid final, Draper went straight to Rome for the Italian Open.

The fatigue was obvious - Draper had to repeatedly yell at himself to get his energy going in his comeback victory against Corentin Moutet in the fourth round - but the ability to find a way through it, to win despite seemingly running on fumes, is key to clay-court success.