The Clay Court Challenge
The pinnacle of the clay court season is upon us with the 2026 edition of the French Open currently underway. This year, last year’s runners-up Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner are the favorites to claim victory in the women’s and men’s singles events respectively.
Clay courts are known for being the most challenging surface in tennis, demanding a higher level of stamina due to the long rallies that often occur on this surface. Last year, Daily Mail Sport had the opportunity to experience what it’s like to play on clay during a rare one-on-one coaching session with world-renowned tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou. Almost a year later, we found ourselves back on the clay, this time in Rome as part of the Italian Open, in collaboration with ASICS.
There was no formal entry into the tournament, to avoid any personal embarrassment, but there was still a learning curve involved in understanding how to play on clay from local coaches, while also getting to rub shoulders with some of the world’s best players.
Situated near the Foro Italico, where the Italian Open is held, is the Casina Poste Parco Fluvial – the location for my latest clay court experience. Dressed in the appropriate tennis attire, ASICS provided me with the footwear needed to help me navigate the red surface. The footwear I was given was the Solution Speed FF 4 Clay, engineered to enhance performance by focusing on fast and dynamic motions. Speed is one attribute I possess, and this was beneficial in moving across the baseline while trying to return any attempted drop shots.
Looking the part and being the part are two different things, and the nerves were definitely felt as the session began. Travelling solo, the drills were initially geared towards doubles, meaning I had to find a partner. With many locals here, there was a language barrier, but a few ‘scusa’ (sorry) broke the ice when a shot was mishit.
Once the nerves subsided and I reacclimatised to the surface, I tried to remember what Mouratoglou had taught me about hitting through the ball, allowing me to play with more pace against my opponent. After multiple rallies at a level I adapted to, the level increased infinitely when I then began to have a hit with Jasmine Paolini.
Paolini, ranked No 13 in the world, was a runner-up at the French Open and Wimbledon in 2024. The 30-year-old is also the defending doubles Olympic Games champion, played at Roland Garros in 2024, and reigning doubles French Open champion, highlighting her ability on clay especially.
And come our rally, the gulf in class was evident as Paolini moved me around the court with ease and a big smile on her face. Trying to get in position for the shots wasn’t necessarily the hardest thing, it was dealing with the kick that came off her shots as they hit the clay.
It was a fun and surreal experience, and we did manage to have some rallies before an unforced error would arise from me. After that came the physical side, followed by the mental, as I sat down with world No 73 Mattia Bellucci to understand what it takes to succeed.
The 24-year-old also wears ASICS’ Solution Speed FF 4 Clay and gave some good advice to Daily Mail Sport about being a novice on clay. He said: “Sliding is definitely important. Clay is a surface where you have a little bit more time, especially with ASICS shoes. If you have the possibility to place yourself in the right position, do it as it means you’ll have time to set yourself better for the next shot. This is important because you’ll likely hit more shots on clay than on hardcourts so the quality of each shot is more important. Also with spin and everything, the ball changes a little bit [with each shot]. So, if you don’t know about hitting a flat shot or a kick shot, just go with the kick.”
That advice will be heeded going into my future clay court game, and hopefully, the whole experience will pay off next time I play on that surface.
