After his routine dismantling of Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-1 in the second round in Madrid, Rafael Nadal was asked to reflect on his astounding streak of 48 consecutive sets won on clay. Two more sets and he would eclipse John McEnroe’s record of 49 straight sets on any one surface.
Nadal didn’t seem too keen on reflecting.
“I don’t know if these kind of records are very important,” he said, before adding, “I don’t say I don’t care because it's better to have these kind of things than don’t have it. But I am in a tennis tournament, and think about that, nothing else.”
This was more than a case of Nadal playing modest and downplaying his achievements. Even during his match with Monfils, which produced its fair share of breathtaking points in a raucous atmosphere, Nadal was all business, betraying little emotion. After playing what was arguably the best point of the tournament at 3-1, 30-0 in the first set, Monfils seemed more pleased than Nadal—and Monfils lost the point.