Share

Nadal accepts decline in form

Rome - After a decade at or near the top of tennis, Rafael Nadal can accept that he's no longer dominating.

Speaking at the Italian Open on Tuesday, Nadal says "obviously today I'm not as good as I (was). ... Life has been fantastic with me. Today I'm not winning as much as I did in the past. Life continues."

On Monday, Nadal dropped out of the top five in the ATP rankings for the first time in 10 years.

He's struggling to get back to his best after a wrist injury and an appendectomy last season.

He says "I'm No. 6 in the race. It's not a disaster."

Nadal says he's not considering removing Toni Nadal, his uncle, as coach.

He opens Wednesday against Turkish qualifier Marsel Ilhan.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should the Proteas pick Faf du Plessis for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States in June?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Faf still has a lot to give ...
50% - 7 votes
No! It's time to move on ...
50% - 7 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE