Rafael Nadal has a perfectly logical explanation for the 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 loss to Frances Tiafoe which knocked the 22-time Grand Slam winner out in the US Open fourth round.
“The difference is easy: I played a bad match and he played a good match,” the second seed said. “At the end that’s it, no?
“Tennis is a sport of position a lot of times. If not, you need to be very, very quick and very young.
“I am not in that moment anymore.”
The 36-year-old will head back to Mallorca to be with his wife, who is resting in hospital due to what is reported as a complicated pregnancy.
Nadal had no excuses for his defeat besides the obvious. But he gave full credit to American Tiafoe for a job well done.
“We can make lamentations or complain now about a lot of things, but I don’t think that going to change any situation,” the player who had only one hardcourt preparation match due to the abdominal injury which forced a Wimbledon semi-final forfeit to NIck Kyrgios said.
“(Injuries are) part of my career. We can’t find excuses, I need to be critical of myself, that’s.the only way to improve to find solutions.
“I practised well but when the competition started, my level went down.
“At the end the only thing that happened is we went to the fourth round of the US Open and I faced a player that was better than me.
“And that’s why I am having a plane back home.”
Main photo:- Rafa Nadal losing to Frances Tiafoe today at Flushing Meadows by Roger Parker International Sports Fotos Ltd
