MADRID — In a newly installed corridor of champions at the Madrid Open, action-shot paintings of recent winners adorn the walls. As expected at a clay-court event, earth tones dominate the palette — except in the images from 2012, which many players hope will remain a one-time aberration.
That year, tournament organizers changed the color of the clay courts from the traditional reddish orange to a vivid cerulean, seeking a unique brand identity and a better contrast on television with the yellow ball. After complaints from top players who said its slipperiness and its dissimilarity to other clay courts were unacceptable, the blue clay was gone the next year, and it has disappeared from tournaments everywhere.