For a generation of tennis enthusiasts, the ultimate question lingered: who was the superior player, Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal?
Back in 2007, these two icons of the sport went to extraordinary lengths in an attempt to provide an answer.
They participated in a bizarre exhibition experiment, competing on a court uniquely divided, with one half consisting of grass and the other of clay.
Federer, then 26, entered this contest having recently won his fifth consecutive Wimbledon title.
He held an impressive five-year undefeated record on grass courts and had also claimed seven additional Grand Slam titles from the US and Australian Opens.
Nadal, while the younger player, had already cemented his status as the undisputed `King of Clay`.
The Spaniard hadn`t lost a match on clay in two years, making this unconventional match-up on a combined surface a truly fascinating spectacle.
The innovative concept was conceived by Argentine Pablo del Campo.
His inspiration came from observing baseball fields, where dirt and grass surfaces naturally merge.
Del Campo explained in a BBC podcast that seeing the blend of outfield grass and infield dirt sparked his vision for a hybrid tennis court. He felt the idea was “irresistible” for both Federer and Nadal.
The Palma Arena on Nadal`s home island of Mallorca was selected as the venue.
Building the specialized court was an intricate process, taking 19 days and costing the organizers over £1.3 million.
They encountered a significant challenge when a worm infestation damaged the grass section, necessitating its replacement with turf specifically sourced from a golf green.
Del Campo described the situation as “a mess, a big mess” and “very, very stressful.”
The match itself was a three-set affair played before a capacity crowd of 7,000 and lived up to the anticipation.
Nadal secured the first set by breaking Federer`s serve on both the grass and clay sides.
However, the Swiss maestro, holder of 20 career Grand Slams, fought back, breaking Nadal`s serve to push the match to a decisive third set.
Ultimately, Nadal emerged victorious, winning the final set after an extended tie-break that finished 12-10.
The Spanish superstar, who concluded his career with an incredible 14 French Open titles on clay, confessed afterwards that he initially thought the unique court idea might turn into a “disaster”.
Following the match, he commented:
“It has been a nice experience. Although before the match I thought it would be a disaster because I felt it would be very difficult for me to adapt to the court.
I have had a good time and that is important.
Both of us would like to repeat this experience because, although the match was not a real one, it allowed us to play for points without much tension and to play more relaxed.”
Despite this single exhibition match on the unusual surface, it is Nadal who holds the advantage in their historical head-to-head record in competitive play.
Across their 40 professional encounters, Nadal won 26 times, compared to Federer`s 14 victories.
Federer also shared his impressions of the experimental court:
“I found the court to be excellent, especially the clay part. The challenge was difficult, because you have many things in your head.
You have problems to work out about how you are going to play on either side of the court.
On the grass, I felt at the start that I was moving very well, although it took me a while longer to adapt to the clay.”
