Ugo Humbert claims to follow ‘this’ tennis legend for his transition from hard to clay courts

The season is heading toward the clay courts, and Rafael Nadal is one man who won’t be seen gliding on that surface. The Spaniard retired from the sport last year after Spain’s Davis Cup campaign. However, his legacy continues to speak volumes.

One recent example is Ugo Humbert, who says he has been watching the tennis legend’s videos to help him transition from hard courts to clay courts. The Frenchman shared this in detail during an interview with L’Équipe.

I’ve worked a lot with Jeremy Chardy, watching many videos of Rafa. I focused on his movements and playing zones. Then, on the court, I tried to identify the situations that were challenging me. I’m a very intuitive person and I’ve always liked going for the winning shot, but sometimes it doesn’t make sense.

Ugo Humbert said in an interview to L’Equipe

Like Nadal, Humbert has also found some success in Paris. However, his achievements are modest in comparison — he reached his first Masters 1000 final at Bercy last year, where he lost to Alexander Zverev.

Nadal, on the other hand, has won an incredible 14 Roland Garros titles in his career. He has only been defeated four times at the clay-court Grand Slam.

Rafael Nadal’s dominance in Monte Carlo explained

The 2025 season is the first full clay court season without Rafael Nadal. Even though it feels different, the sport continues. Nadal leaves behind a legacy that will always be remembered on clay. As the Monte Carlo Masters nears, it’s a good time to look back at his incredible record there.

Nadal is the most successful player in Monte Carlo history. He made his debut in 2003 and beat French Open winner Albert Costa. That win helped him break into the Top 100. He reached the third round before losing to Guillermo Coria.

In 2005, Nadal began his streak of dominance at the event. From 2005 to 2012, he won 46 matches in a row. Novak Djokovic ended that streak in the 2013 final. Nadal has a rare record — more titles than losses at both Monte Carlo and Roland Garros.

Nadal won 11 titles in Monte Carlo. His first was in 2005 when he was just 18. He won seven in a row, then added three more from 2016 to 2018. In 2018, despite an early-season injury, he won the title again without losing a set.

Novak Djokovic considers Rafael Nadal his toughest opponent

Novak Djokovic recently shared who he thinks was the toughest opponent of his career. Since turning pro in 2003, he has faced many top players across different generations. In an interview with Eurosport, he named two legends who challenged him the most.

You probably know the names [Roger] Federer and [Rafael] Nadal. I would say (Rafael) Nadal would be the one that probably stands out [as] my biggest opponent and biggest rival.

Novak Djokovic said in an interview

It’s no surprise that Rafael Nadal was one of them. Djokovic and Nadal faced each other 60 times, with Djokovic leading 31-29. They played many intense matches at Grand Slams, including all four major finals. Their first meeting was at the 2006 French Open, where Djokovic had to retire due to injury. They later met in the 2010 US Open final, where Nadal won.

Their rivalry included some of the longest and hardest matches in tennis, like the 2012 Australian Open final, which lasted nearly six hours. Djokovic won that one in five sets. Given the physical and mental battles they had, it’s easy to understand why he called Nadal his toughest opponent.

The season is heading toward the clay courts, and one man who won’t be seen gliding on that surface is Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard retired from the sport last year after Spain’s Davis Cup campaign. However, his legacy continues to speak volumes.

One recent example is Ugo Humbert, who says he has been watching the tennis legend’s videos to help him transition from hard courts to clay courts. The Frenchman shared this in detail during an interview with L’Équipe. Djokovic also spoke about Roger Federer.

They played 50 times from 2006 to 2020, with Djokovic having the edge. Federer, before retiring in 2022, faced Djokovic in 17 Grand Slam matches. As Djokovic nears the end of his own career, he continues to take on new stars like Alcaraz, Sinner, and Zverev.