Nadal says he is ‘no longer sure of anything’ after Brisbane loss

Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal, who was eliminated at the Brisbane quarterfinals after a loss to Australian Jordan Thompson, shared his thoughts following the defeat.

“I am saddened because I missed several opportunities to win, despite not playing a great match. I was one point away from victory. My opponent played very well and deserves all the compliments. I have to be satisfied and congratulate him,” said Nadal during the post-match press conference.

“I don’t yet know the condition of my body; we will see tomorrow morning when I wake up. I’ve been cautious in the last few days because I know that after a year-long break, playing at a very intense level is tough for my body. When things get tough, you don’t know how your body will react. I have to keep a high spirit; nothing has changed. If I have a problem, I have to accept it. I haven’t participated in tournaments for such a long time; this is just the beginning. In the last month, I didn’t feel well in training, but it’s been such a long period. I hope there’s nothing serious, and next week I’ll be able to train and play in the Australian Open. Honestly, I’m not sure about anything anymore,” added the Spaniard.

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“The pain during the match wasn’t very significant. The important thing is that I managed to play three matches here. If it’s something serious, then it hasn’t been a positive week for me. But now is not the time to talk about it. We’ll see how I feel in the next two days. If I’m not well, I’ll undergo examinations,” he continued.

“My pain is in the same place as last year, but the feeling is different. It’s more of a discomfort in the muscle area; last year, it was the tendon. I feel that the muscle is tired. But it’s not the same as last year when I felt sharp pain. The problem is that it’s in the same place, and that creates more concern. In the ideal scenario, it would be accepted as muscle fatigue after a few days of effort and a very tough match (lasting almost 3 and a half hours). We knew this could happen, and that’s why I said from the beginning that I would be competitive after a few months. I’ve already said that I’m not coming back to win tournaments, but to play tennis and do it in the best way,” the 22-time Grand Slam title holder assured.