New Delhi, May 31 -- When the Roland Garros, venue for the Grand Slam formerly known as the French Open, honoured Rafael Nadal earlier this week, it did so by unveiling a plaque on court with the player's footprint and signature. Court Philippe-Chatrier will bear Nadal's footprint forever, on its striking red clay, as a reminder to future generations how big these shoes are to fill.

In his new book The Warrior: Rafael Nadal and his Kingdom of Clay, Christopher Clarey reiterates that point repeatedly and with good reason. Nadal won 14 titles at this venue, a record that's widely considered unbeatable and twice the previous record number of seven by Chris Evert. During the course of these 14 titles over 20 years, he built a 112-4 win-loss ...