John McEnroe or Rafael Nadal? A history of the Battle of the Surfaces
ATP
Although Rafael Nadal is known for his legendary match-winning streaks on clay, the Spaniard does not hold total dominance over one surface as retired pro John McEnroe also established an impressive winning streak on carpet.
McEnroe claimed 49 consecutive sets on the indoor surface between February and September 1984, and the American kept that record until Nadal broke it by rattling off 50 sets on clay between Roland Garros 2017 and Madrid 2018.
Nadal and McEnroe shared similar stats during their dominant runs
The 22-time Grand Slam champion began his streak at the 2017 French Open, where he won the title without dropping a set. After two straight-sets win matches at the Davis Cup, Nadal would conquer Monte Carlo and Madrid, also without dropping a set. The streak would eventually end at the 2018 Madrid Masters, losing to Dominic Thiem in the quarterfinals.
Conversely, McEnroe shared a similar fate in 1984, beginning his streak in the Davis Cup against Romania in February. The American would go on to life trophies in Madrid and Brussels without dropping a set. After more dominance in Dallas and San Francisco, McEnroe finally saw his straight-sets streak snapped at 49 matches in a Davis Cup encounter against Australia's John Fitzgerald.
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