Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal reflects on his fourth-round loss against Frances Tiafoe at the US Open, where he was pursuing his 23rd Grand Slam title.

The lefty made the semi-finals at [Wimbledon](https://www.atptour.com/en/tournaments/wimbledon/540/overview) before withdrawing due to injury. [Fabio Fognini](https://www.atptour.com/en/players/fabio-fognini/f510/overview). 7 [Richard Gasquet](https://www.atptour.com/en/players/richard-gasquet/g628/overview). “I was not able to do anything, any of these things this afternoon. I had a Love-30 in the first set, second serve, I missed the return. “But at the end of the day I need to analyse myself more than the opponent. I had that break, then I had again a 15/40. At the end the only thing that happened is we went to the fourth round of the That's the only way to improve or that's the only way that I understand you are able to find solutions.” “I was not able to hold a high level of tennis for a long time. Or maybe I lost [other] things because I was not able to create this interior power after all that injuries. “We can make lamentations or we can complain now about a lot of things, but I don't think that [is] going to change any situation,” Nadal said.

No. 22 seed Frances Tiafoe defeats Rafael Nadal to end the Spaniard's 22-match Grand Slam winning streak and reach the U.S. Open quarterfinals for the first ...

When one last backhand by Nadal found the net, Tiafoe chucked his racket and put his hands on his head. Earlier in the tournament, he lost the first set of his first-round match. "It signifies that the years go by," Nadal said. Then he made it to the semifinals at Wimbledon in July before withdrawing from that tournament because of a torn abdominal muscle. "At the end that's it." "I felt like the world stopped," Tiafoe said. "I mean, they're going to remember today for the rest of their lives." And he kept his cool, remained in the moment and never let the stakes or the opponent get to him. 2 Gustavo Kuerten in the first. They ended up in Maryland, where Constant helped construct a tennis training center for juniors, then became a maintenance man there; Alphina, Frances said, was "a nurse, working two jobs, working overtime through the nights." For them, I can't imagine what was going through their heads," said Tiafoe, a 24-year-old American seeded 22nd at the U.S. He was thrilled — overwhelmed, even — when the last point was over and it hit him that, yes, he had ended Rafael Nadal's 22-match Grand Slam winning streak Monday and reached the U.S.

Frances Tiafoe pulled off the performance of his career as he overpowered and outhit 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal to make the US Open quarter-finals ...

Tiafoe went on to break Nadal again before holding at 5-3. You have to thread the needle and play high risk otherwise you keep running like a yo-yo." Despite the result Nadal will still return to world No. He is one of the greatest of all time, I played unbelievable tennis today, I really don’t know what happened." US Open Nadal broke early in the fourth set and the early signs suggested the match was going to a fifth set, but he couldn’t consolidate the break.

Rafael Nadal said he would make no excuses after his shock loss to American Frances Tiafoe in the US Open fourth round Monday, despite a serious abdominal ...

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. If not, you need to be very, very quick and very young," he said. "For some reason, I don't know, mental issues in terms of a lot of things happened the last couple of months ... That's the only way to improve or that's the only way that I understand you are able to find solutions." A straight-sets loss to Borna Coric in his Cincinnati opener gave little sign for optimism and he described the injury to reporters in New York as "dangerous" and "risky." We need to be enough (of a) critic with myself.

Shortly after being ousted by home favorite Frances Tiafoe in 4 sets at the 2022 US Open, Rafael Nadal shared a hopeful hint on his Instagram Stories ...

[US Open: Rafael Nadal loses to Frances Tiafoe and blows title dreams](https://www.tennisworldusa.org/tennis/news/On_the_ATP_results_with/120107/us-open-rafael-nadal-loses-to-frances-tiafoe-and-blows-title-dreams/). Frances gave it his all in a historic victory on the Arthur Ashe Stadium, playing bold and aggressive tennis and winning ten points more than Rafa. Hope to see you all next year!” Rafael Nadal wrote on Instagram.

Despite having played just one match before the US Open after his Wimbledon withdrawal, Nadal, who won the Australian Open and French Open earlier this year ...

"I wasn't ready for it, mentally I wasn't mature enough for those moments, and these last couple of years when it hasn't been on me, I've been able to develop. [skysports.com/tennis](http://www.skysports.com/tennis), our Twitter account [@skysportstennis](https://twitter.com/SkySportsTennis) & Sky Sports - on the go! I'm able to do me, do it my way, and enjoy the game I love." "I am going to try to be ready mentally," Nadal said. "I have a great team behind me, and I've been putting my head down. "I'm beyond happy, I'm almost in tears.

His loss to Frances Tiafoe was Nadal's earliest defeat at a major tournament in more than five years and the first time he had been beaten in any major in ...

[won Wimbledon](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/10/sports/tennis/novak-djokovic-wimbledon.html) and will presumably be hungry for more success if he can play a fuller schedule in 2023. But there would be no semifinal match, as [Nadal withdrew before facing Nick Kyrgios](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/07/sports/tennis/nadal-wimbledon.html), and there will be no deep run at the U.S. Nadal holds two of the four majors and will reclaim the No. But a new era is surely on the horizon. [arrived in London relieved and reinvigorated](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/17/sports/tennis/nadal-wimbledon-grand-slam.html), only to strain his abdominal muscle in a quarterfinal victory over Fritz. “Fifteen minutes after losing at the last Grand Slam tournament of the year, everything is dark, but that’s normal,” Nadal said in Spanish. But I don’t think I pushed him enough to create in him the doubts that I need to create. But after mulling retirement for the second time in a year, Nadal found a way — with the help of regular painkilling injections — to win his 14th French Open. Nadal spent too much of the match well behind the baseline, sprinting to the corners and lunging to extend rallies (or not). Though he somehow reached the final, losing to Taylor Fritz, the new injury cut short his preparation for his beloved clay-court season. That injury cost him preparation time ahead of the U.S. But a strange thing happened on the way to another revival.

Rafa Nadal lost his first Grand Slam match of the year as he suffered a shock defeat to home favourite Frances Tiafoe at the US Open.

He missed a horrible overhead at 15-30 in the fourth game to give two break points and Nadal broke to lead 3-1. But Nadal’s bid to win his 23rd Grand Slam title was ended in sensational style by smiling assassin Tiafoe 6-4 4-6 6-4 6-3. Rafa Nadal lost his first Grand Slam match of the year as he suffered a shock defeat to home favourite Frances Tiafoe at the US Open.

The men's tournament has been blown wide open by defeats for Daniil Medvedev and now Nadal.

For some reason, I don’t know, mental issues in terms of a lot of things that happened the last couple of months, maybe.” “I need to fix things, life, then I don’t know when I’m going to come back. [Terms of use,](https://www.independent.co.uk/service/user-policies-a6184151.html) [Cookie policy](https://www.independent.co.uk/service/cookie-policy-a6184186.html) and [Privacy notice.](https://www.independent.co.uk/service/privacy-policy-a6184181.html) I have been practising well the week before, honestly. [Privacy policy](https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en) and [Terms of service](https://policies.google.com/terms?hl=en) apply. Tiafoe, who took to the court in a hoodie celebrating Williams’ greatness, said of his win: “I don’t even know what to say right now. I played some really good tennis. When I feel that I will be ready to compete again, I will be there.” But then when the competition started, my level went down. I can’t believe it. I was not quick enough in my movements. He was able to take the ball too many times very early, so I was not able to push him back.

Tiafoe, a Hyattsville, Md., native, joined Andy Roddick and James Blake as the only Americans to defeat Nadal in a Grand Slam tournament.

She rose from 76th in the world at the end of that year to a career-high seventh this season after teaming up with David Witt, Venus Williams’s former longtime coach, and dedicating more time to the professional side of professional tennis: eating right, preparing thoroughly and taking care of her body. But in the next game, Nadal served two double faults and Tiafoe didn’t let the chance slip through his fingers. Am I ever going to be able to say I beat one of them? Today I was like, no, I’m going to do that,” Tiafoe said. “The biggest thing with things like that is the time I played him before, I got broken so early in each set,” Tiafoe said. Tiafoe’s victory denied Nadal the chance to expand his lead over Novak Djokovic (21) and Federer (20) in Grand Slam wins. His physical improvement has led to a He was the first man to beat Nadal at a major this year, with the Spaniard having won the Australian Open and the French Open. He had been practicing with a high level of intensity ahead of the tournament but couldn’t serve with the same ferocity because scar tissue on his abdomen limited his movement. When he clinched it by forcing a backhand error from Nadal, he chucked his racket toward his chair and placed his hands around his head. He is through to his first U.S. But Monday, with a smart, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 win over Rafael Nadal, he displayed a tactician’s discipline in ousting the 22-time Grand Slam champion.

After 22 consecutive wins at Majors in 2022, Rafael Nadal suffered the first loss on Monday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Rafa fell to Frances Tiafoe 6-4, ...

The American rattled off five consecutive games to seal the deal in style and remain on the title course. Tiafoe broke back in the next one, survived break points at 2-3 and delivered another break in game seven to gain a 4-3 advantage. Rafa served to stay in the match at 3-5 and had nothing more left in the tank. He broke Rafa in game seven and held at 30 with a volley winner at 5-4 to grab the opener in 54 minutes. Nadal needed a medical timeout after the opening set, and he could not force a decider despite giving his everything in the fourth set. Tiafoe served at 44% again and could not avoid problems in his games.

The Australian has suggested that the 22-time Grand Slam champion may look to retire after winning one more French Open given the quality of the new wave of ...

If he goes back to the Australian Open and runs into a Tiafoe or someone similar where he only plays to win slams. It was the Spaniard’s first loss in a major tournament this year having won the Australian Open and followed it up with his customary success in France before being forced to pull out of The Australian has suggested that the 22-time Grand Slam champion may look to retire after winning one more [French Open](/latest/french-open) given the quality of the new wave of youngsters that are coming through.

Rafael Nadal's uncertain future following US Open exit, Dawson Knox's gratitude for Bills' support, and are Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua finally going to ...

[PSG vs Juventus](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/soccer/news/psg-vs-juventus-time-tv-stream-lineups-odds-champions-league/fnhr4tepl8wjutae2we2daet)and [Real Madrid’s trip to Celtic](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/soccer/news/celtic-vs-real-madrid-time-tv-channel-stream-odds-champions-league/gpl0vinzbt5axabcsuopcki6)among Tuesday’s highlights [Aaron Judge hits 54th home run of the season](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/news/yankees-aaron-judge-home-run-pace-tracker-mlb-record/rpo0pkegydgvf6akk1pw3qad) [Rafael Nadal knocked out in shock defeat to Francis Tiafoe](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/tennis/news/rafael-nadal-suffers-shock-us-open-exit-frances-tiafoe-draw-opens-kyrgios-and-alcaraz/j8o4unovhgaa9xrubrbqxfid), but Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz make the quarterfinals at Flushing Meadows

Nadal was forced to give Nick Kyrgios a walkover in the Wimbledon semifinal due to an abdominal injury.

The best thing for him is trying to be healthy. Being in a Wimbledon semi-final and not being able to play, above all with the level he had. Rafa is 36, and he had various Masters 1000s and the US Open ahead of him this year. We decided to evaluate the risks, analyse the pros and cons. Reaching the Wimbledon semifinal and then withdrawing was heartbreaking for Nadal. Also, Nadal was aiming for his Wimbledon title since 2010.

For Australian and French Open champion Nadal, it was a first grand slam loss of 2022 after an abdominal strain forced him to forfeit his Wimbledon semi-final.

"I was not able to push him back. "I going to try to be ready mentally. I am not in that moment anymore." There is a tournament ahead if everything else goes well," he said. I need to fix things. "I need to go back.

Rafa did not arrive at the US Open at his best, struggling with an abdominal injury since Wimbledon and playing only one match between two Majors. Nadal kicked ...

Nadal stayed competitive and grabbed a break at 2-1 in the fourth set. The American grabbed a break at 3-3 in the third set and held with an ace in game ten to wrap up the set and move closer to the finish line. Nadal needed a medical timeout after the opening set, and he played well in the second to score one break and level the overall score. The youngster delivered his only break in the opener for a surprising lead before the veteran shifted into a higher gear and advanced with five return games on his tally. After that, Nadal will start practicing again, and it seems more evident that we will not see him at the upcoming Laver Cup. Rafael Nadal is heading back home to Mallorca following the fourth-round US Open loss.

For the first time in the professional era, the U.S. Open will have just one quarterfinalist across the women's and men's draws who already has won a major ...

But there were great champions in the past and there will be again. The fans have to be ready for a new generation, as well.” The only other men with more than one in that span are Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka, with three apiece. There is no reason to think Djokovic, 35, will not remain a Slam contender for some time — when he can get into the country hosting the tournament, that is. Open, whether merely symbolic or truly portentous, offers a glimpse at the current and future states of the game. Of the 16 singles quarterfinalists across the women’s and men’s brackets, 15 never have won so much as one major championship anywhere (the exception is Iga Swiatek, a 21-year-old from Poland who is No. Federer, 41, hasn’t played since Wimbledon in July 2021 and had a series of operations on his right knee. According to the U.S. Those four players dominated, and were the main draws, in tennis for decades, collecting a total of 86 Grand Slam singles titles, each with at least 20. “Some depart, others come and the world keeps going. Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer (more on them later) weren’t even in the tournament. Rafael Nadal lost in the fourth round.

The 22-time Grand Slam winner was knocked out of the US Open after a shock fourth round defeat to American Frances Tiafoe at Flushing Meadows, and following ...

I was not able to hold a high level of tennis for a long time. "I was not quick enough in my movements. I'm going to try to be ready mentally. However, now Nadal is heading back home to spend some precious time with his wife. Nadal has won the Australian and French Opens already this year but exited Flushing Meadows at the fourth round stage. It's been a few months a little difficult in every way, this is the reality.

RAFAEL NADAL could still become world No 1 after losing in the US Open round-of-16.

[had a chance to reach world No 1 at his comeback tournament in Cincinnati](/sport/tennis/1655168/Rafael-Nadal-Cincinnati-world-No-1-ranking-comeback-tennis-news) last month but lost in the first round, denying himself the chance of climbing the rankings. He will now rely on his young rivals losing before Sunday’s championship match but has already explained what it would mean to him to return to the top for the first time in more than a year. [Rafael Nadal](/latest/rafael-nadal)’s coach has opened up on the Spaniard’s ambitions with him closing in on the world No 1 ranking.

Rafael Nadal's priority is being fit for upcoming Grand Slams and not returning to the top of the ATP world rankings, his coach Carlos Moya has stressed.

For some reason, I don't know, mental issues in terms of a lot of things happened the last couple of months. That's the true. But then when the competition start, my level went down. 1 for the first time since February 2020](https://www.eurosport.com/tennis/us-open/2022/rafael-nadal-carlos-alcaraz-daniil-medvedev-or-casper-ruud-who-needs-what-to-win-no.-1-race-after-us_sto9109468/story.shtml)if neither Carlos Alcaraz nor Casper Ruud make the final of the US Open. [Casper Ruud holds nerve to overcome Matteo Berrettini and keep maiden US Open dream alive](https://www.eurosport.com/tennis/us-open/2022/no.-1-contender-casper-ruud-holds-nerve-to-overcome-matteo-berrettini-and-keep-maiden-us-open-dream_sto9129705/story.shtml) [Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Frances Tiafoe - 'their time has come' says John McEnroe](https://www.eurosport.com/tennis/us-open/2022/carlos-alcaraz-jannik-sinner-and-francis-tiafoe-their-time-has-come-says-john-mcenroe-at-2022-us-ope_sto9129290/story.shtml) But in other cases it went the right way, even with not the perfect preparation, no? “I have been practising well the week before, honestly. “I going to try to be ready mentally. But the Spaniard is still one of three players in the frame for the coveted top spot in the ATP rankings. But if it’s put in front of him, of course we’ll go for it.” “If you look at his schedule, it’s clear that it’s not a goal. The race to reach world No.

Rafael Nadal's tennis future is anybody's guess, but his coach has ruled out one potential theory. Read more here.

Click here to find out more about our partners. Find out more about how we use your information in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. You can select 'Manage settings' for more information and to manage your choices.