Amy Tenner’s
Rafa Nadal said he would make no excuses for his loss to Frances Tiafoe in the fourth round of the US Open on Monday, despite a significant abdominal injury that delayed his preparation for the year’s last major.
Tiafoe had not reached the quarterfinals of a major tournament since the 2019 Australian Open, but he had little trouble stopping Nadal’s road to a record-extending 23rd Grand Slam victory as the Spaniard struggled with his serve and return.
This year, Nadal withdrew from Wimbledon due to a significant abdominal injury and barely played before arriving at Flushing Meadows, but he told reporters that Tiafoe was the superior opponent.
He told reporters, “We can mourn or complain about a great number of things, but I don’t believe it would alter anything.”
“There are no excuses. We must be sufficiently critical of myself. This is the only way to improve or, from what I can tell, the only way you can find solutions.”
Frances Tiafoe overcomes her displeasure with Rafael Nadal.
Nadal takes his first major loss of the year!! pic.twitter.com/NKXtMisWzs
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 5, 2022
This year, Nadal won the Australian Open, Roland-Garros, and Indian Wells, but his good fortune abruptly ended when he informed media he could not continue with his semi-final match against Nick Kyrgios at the All England Club.
In New York, he termed the injury as “serious” and “risky” after a straight-sets loss to Borna Coric in his opening match in Cincinnati, which provided little cause for confidence.
In his first appearance at the New York hard court major in three years, he lost the opening set to the first-round wildcard Rinky Hilikata, which was an early indication that he was not performing at full capacity.
“I have been practicing well for the previous week. But when the tournament began, my level dropped,” Nadal stated.
This year, it was amazing to have Rafael Nadal back in New York.
#USOpen picture on Twitter: MNhZHRP6J
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 5, 2022
“For some reason, I don’t know, mental troubles over a number of recent events have occurred… But doesn’t matter. In the end, the only thing that transpired was that we advanced to the fourth round of the US Open and I faced a superior opponent.
“Therefore, I’m taking an aircraft back home.”
However, the 36-year-old conceded that his 24-year-old opponent had time on his side.
“Tennis is frequently a sport of position, correct? If not, you must be really, extremely swift and very youthful,” he remarked.
“I am no longer in that moment.”
Reuters