Startling Nadal admission after 'ugly' 13-year low

1 year ago 71

Rafael Nadal says helium is prepared "to die" to scope the apical again, aft losing 4 consecutive matches for the archetypal clip successful 13 years.

The Spaniard went down 6-3, 6-4 to Felix Auger-Aliassime, who becomes the archetypal subordinate calved successful the 2000s to bushed each of the 'big three' - Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. Auger-Aliassime is coached by Nadal's uncle, Toni.

The loss, astatine the ATP Finals successful Turin, comes a time aft Nadal was beaten successful consecutive sets by American Taylor Fritz.

When added to his archetypal circular nonaccomplishment to Tommy Paul astatine the Paris Masters, and his 4th circular exit astatine the US Open astatine the hands of Frances Tiafoe, Nadal has present mislaid 4 matches successful a enactment for the 3rd clip successful his career, and archetypal since 2009.

The 36-year-old, who won the Australian Open and Roland-Garros astatine the commencement of the year, has had an injury-plagued 2nd fractional of the season, aft tearing an abdominal musculus up of his Wimbledon semi last against Nick Kyrgios.

He besides precocious became a begetter for the archetypal time.

Despite the defeat, Nadal remained upbeat.

"[There are a] mates of affirmative things," helium said.

"I was capable to play 2 tournaments successful the past 3 weeks. That's the affirmative thing, thing that I was not capable to bash for a while.

"I don't deliberation I forgot however to play tennis, however to beryllium beardown capable mentally. I conscionable request to retrieve each these affirmative feelings and each this assurance and each this beardown mentality that I request to beryllium astatine the level that I privation to be.

"I don't cognize if I going to scope that level again. But what I don't person immoderate uncertainty is that I [am] going to dice for it."

His 2 large titles this twelvemonth - his 21st and 22nd - moved him wide of his agelong clip rivals Djokovic (21) and Federer (20). However, he's inactive not satisfied.

"Winning 2 slams was not enough," Nadal explained.

"Of course, was not capable due to the fact that I was not capable to play. I don't cognize however galore tournaments I played, 10, 11, possibly 12. Finished possibly nine, 10, successful bully conditions.

"It's hard comparing and warring against the young guys that they are ace good, and astatine the aforesaid clip they are capable to play arsenic galore tournaments arsenic they want."

Nadal started 2022 with a 20-match winning streak that included 2 ATP titles arsenic good arsenic the Australian Open, and it's a tally he's aiming to repetition successful 2023.

"What tin I bash to springiness myself affirmative chances to person a bully play adjacent year?" helium asked.

"As always, beryllium humble capable to judge that I person a situation successful beforehand [of me], that the past six months person been precise hard for me, and I request to enactment much and I request to retrieve things that I mislaid due to the fact that I was not capable to signifier the due way, I was not capable to vie the due way.

"What I person to bash present is travel back, enactment hard, enactment affirmative each azygous day, judge the challenge, judge that I americium going to request to endure a small spot more. If I volition beryllium acceptable to spell done each this process, we are going to cognize successful a mates of months if I person the determination going done that."

Nadal's nonaccomplishment means Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, astatine 19-years-old, becomes the youngest subordinate to clasp the men's year-end No.1 ranking. He eclipses the people acceptable by Lleyton Hewitt, who was 20 successful 2001.

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