An early start on clay may be key for U.S. success

The top Americans on the ATP and WTA tours might be a little reluctant to leave the comforts of home after the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships in Houston and the Volvo Car Open in Charleston, S.C., but getting an early start on the dirt in Europe could be beneficial.

Just ask CoCo Vandeweghe.

After competing in the Fed Cup semifinal against France, CoCo Vandeweghe took a wild card into the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, one of the most prestigious clay-court events on the WTA Tour.

Throughout the week, Vandeweghe expressed how the surface wasn't her favorite. She also did something much more impressive than that: win matches. On her way to her first career clay-court final, the American beat the two former French Open quarterfinalists (Sloane Stephens and Caroline Garcia), the defending Stuttgart champ (Laura Siegemund) and the current world No. 1—and two-time Roland Garros runner-up (Simona Halep).

Karolina Pliskova stopped her run in two hard-fought sets, but the title match appearance should only boost Vandeweghe’s confidence, who entered the event with only one tour match win in 2018.

Last year, Ryan Harrison elected not to play in Houston. Instead, the American—in the midst of what would be his career-best season—went to Europe early. After taking his lumps, the current world No. 57 began to win a round or two during the stretch against Top-100 opponents.

That extra play paid off mostly on the doubles court, though, as Harrison and his partner Michael Venus won two titles, one of them being the French Open for his first career Grand Slam title.

Over the course of the past several years, Americans have demonstrated in spurts that they’re capable of posing a challenge to the Europeans and South Americans who have made their careers on the red clay.

Case in point: Since 2010, Rafael Nadal has won six French Opens, with his only losses coming in the 2015 quarterfinal to Novak Djokovic and a 2016 third-round walkover to his countryman, Marcel Granollers. Over that time, only two players have pushed Nadal to five sets: Djokovic in the semifinals in 2013 and John Isner in the first round in 2011, where the American actually led the Spaniard by two sets to one.

Players like Isner, Jack Sock and Vandeweghe, three of the more powerful servers on their respective tours, can start the point on their terms on the clay to set up their huge groundstrokes and force their opponents into a defensive position.

The aggressive mind-set seen most often on hard courts can work with some modifications on the clay as well. With the evolution of the game as a whole, clay-court tennis is no longer a matter of just keeping the ball in play until your opponent misses. Point construction is still a vital component, but the opportunities to go for winners earlier or put your foe in an uncomfortable situation are there.

Perhaps the biggest challenge comes down to footwork, but that’s where the early exposure to the surface—and the conditions—comes into play. Logistics also present a challenge. The commitment to be away from home and all that entails in regard to comfort and daily routines make the choice to be on the road for an extended period of time less appealing.

Still, an earlier start abroad for Americans can put them in prime position to reap the rewards.

Follow Van on Twitter: @Van_Sias