How have British men improved on ‘alien surface’ of clay?

French Open 2025

Location: Roland Garros, May 25 – June

Three British men have advanced to the third round of the French Open singles for the first time in almost 60 years.

In a Thursday night thriller, Jack Draper defeated home favorite Gael Monfils to join Jacob Fearnley and Cameron Norrie in the 32-player field.

Federico Gomez, an Argentine qualifier, was defeated by Norrie, while Fearnley advanced after his French foe, Ugo Humbert, retired with an injury.

And with Norrie and Fearnley meeting on Saturday night, there is a chance of at least one Briton in the fourth round for the first time in eight years.

Andy Murray, the former world number one, has been a raro for British men on Roland Garros’ clay courts since 1968, but that is no longer the case.

Draper, the British no. 1, has since reached the Madrid Open final last month and is now ranked fifth in the world.

After a difficult first few years, Norrie, 29, and Fearnley, 23, both made encouraging progress in their first full professional seasons.

Such advancement has not happened overnight.

During her professional career, former British number one Annabel Croft traveled to America to practice on clay.

It appeared to be from an alien planet. It was similar to other players who had recently arrived from America and started playing grass. She remarked on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra that it was “like a different sport.”

“When you suddenly go on to a clay court, the ball is coming back, and you learned how to make a point.

The entire mentality transforms into something entirely new.

Another inquest into the lack of British success on clay was resulted from last year’s first-round wipeout of British singles players.

British players historically have had less exposure to clay courts than many of their rivals, especially those from other European and South American countries.

According to the LTA, there were approximately 1,300 clay courts in Great Britain in 2024, or roughly 5% of the 23, 000 total courts. In contrast, clay is used to make up 60% of Spain’s top-of-the-surface courts.

The National Tennis Centre in Roehampton has four clay courts constructed to the same standards as those at the Monte Carlo Masters.

In order for young players to attend camps and training sessions, the governing body is also “forming new partnerships” with clay-court facilities in Barcelona and Girona.

Both Norrie and Fearnley both attended Texas Christian University in America, where they both majored in their respective fields. It aided in the development of a “steady mentality,” which is so important on clay courts.

“Norrie is very much someone Fearnley and the others at TCU looked up to,” said BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller.

After winning Indian Wells and achieving success in other major tournaments, Norrie would return to practice while he was an ATP Tour player.

Norrie was the model Norrie and Fearnley were attempting to emulate when they had the opportunity to practice with him.

In a video posted by the LTA before the season started, Draper and Fearnley were shown sliding.

One of the most important abilities that players need to master to succeed on clay is sliding.

It was probably my first time doing it since maybe 2017, according to Fearnley when that video was taken.

It’s still something I’m getting used to, and feeling the movement is crucial.

The tennis stays essentially the same, but the movement is different, according to one expert.

Players can return the ball from a defensive position with a slide-in to a shot and change their position more quickly to make a more aggressive shot.

Because clay is a much slower surface than grass, it results in more rallies, longer points, and more running.

A high level of fitness is unavoidable, and it is one of the main factors in Draper’s success on clay this year. Both Fearnley and Norrie are engine-driven, as well.

Players must also feel at ease when using a different approach.

Rafael Nadal, a 14-time champion, has his lefty forehand in mind when you think of him playing at the French Open.

He hit with heavy top spin, which was a key component of his success, thanks to his grip and follow-through with the racquet.