One of the most notable tournaments in the tennis clay court season nearly lost two legendary players following an eye-catching change.
The Madrid Open was established in 2002 and first played on indoor hard courts before switching to the typically orange surface in 2009.
Caja Magica, located in the Spanish capital, replaced Madrid Arena as the venue whilst Romanian billionaire Ion Tiriac became tournament owner that same year.
Clay courts were used for just three years before Tiriac, a former ATP singles player, proposed a new-look design for the players and fans.
Line markings were to be outlined on blue clay to improve the visuals, especially for those watching matches on television.
Tiriac confidently told CNN: “I’m sure the spectators are going to say, ‘Wow, we can see the ball better.’ It’s proved scientifically the ball and the contrast is at least 15 per cent better on the blue than the red.
“I spent a lot of time thinking about the game, thinking about how can you be better, not only for the players, who are the most important thing on the court, but also for the viewers.”
Blue clay courts were confirmed for both the ATP and WTA Madrid Open matches in 2012, but its unpopularity quickly became apparent.
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal entered four months after an epic five-set battle in the Australian Open final that the former won.
Despite them being the top two seeds in Madrid, both fell to unexpected early defeats on the new courts.
Djokovic lost his quarter-final clash to fellow Serbian Janko Tipsarevic whilst Nadal exited in the third round with defeat to countryman Fernando Verdasco.
Nadal, the popularly-named ‘King of Clay’, clearly took issue with the surface and hinted at a boycott if no changes were made.
“Being able to move is very important for me and if I can’t move well, I can’t hit the ball well either,” he said via the Daily Telegraph.
The Spaniard then insisted: “If things don’t change, this will be one less tournament on the calendar for me.”
Djokovic also hinted towards boycotting the Madrid Open in 2013 by expressing his own grievances.
He said: “They are claiming that the court is exactly the same as red clay, which is not true because there is a big difference.
“You are tripping, slipping all the time, sliding. The winner will be the one who doesn’t get hurt by the end of the week.”
Roger Federer won the 2012 Madrid Open and although he was also against the blue clay, he didn’t criticise its introduction as much.
“I understand [Nadal’s] disappointment. He was against [blue clay] from the start and so was I.
“He never felt comfortable on the surface. It is a tough surface and that can only add to the anger even more.”
Vocal backlash from Djokovic and Nadal would have drawn profound reflection from the wider tennis community.
And it appeared to influence the reversal of blue clay as just a month later, the ATP announced the courts would no longer be allowed.
Executive chairman and president Brad Drewett said: “After careful consideration, I have decided that blue clay courts will not be allowed next year. I very much believe in innovation and exploring ways to enhance our sport.
“While the blue clay may have offered better visibility on television, there were clearly issues with the quality of the courts in Madrid this year, which were not acceptable at an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament, one of our top events worldwide.
“Regardless of colour, we must first ensure that courts are safe and fair for players. I know that Ion Tiriac was also disappointed with the court quality in Madrid this year.
“Ion has been a great supporter of the game for many years and I continue to encourage his ideas, including the testing of blue clay at non-ATP World Tour events.
“At this time, however, it’s clear that further development is required before it can be considered for use at the ATP World Tour level.”
And so, the blue clay disappeared from Madrid to be replaced by the traditional orange material that tennis has been accustomed to.
Although Djokovic couldn’t make it past the second round in 2013 on the original court, Nadal showed considerable improvement.
The Spaniard won the tournament in front of a home crowd by beating Stan Wawrinka 6-2 6-4, the third of five titles.
Djokovic, on the other hand, has won it three times during his career and is set to feature once again in 2025.
The singles main draw is set to begin on Wednesday after two days of qualifying.
