Nadal: "I have to attend to much more important things than tennis"

The first step to achieve something is to believe in it.

And quite simply, Frances Tiafoe believed.

“I went out on the track believing that I could beat him.

And I went for it.

I feel that I have nothing to prove, but that I am here to play tennis and enjoy myself”, conceded the American after separating Rafael Nadal from the dream of winning the US Open for the fifth time, his third

of the year.

It put an end to the Mallorcan's unbeaten run this season on the big stages – his resignation from the semi-finals is not officially recorded as a defeat – and he made a big splash.

The 36-year-old Spaniard thus ended a journey full of curves and swings, being without being.

For two weeks, her mind wandered elsewhere.

Directly to Manacor.

To all the physical setbacks that he has been dragging throughout the year, Nadal recently added one of a personal nature, related to his wife's pregnancy.

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Tiafoe, Nadal's executioner, was not bluffing

"It's fine," he commented a few days ago in a liberating speech.

She needed to pass it on.

Even so, the internal anxiety was still there and she moved to the track, negatively impacting the game.

“I have played a bad game, he has played a good game.

He is very fast and very young.

I have not been able to harm him, ”he summed up without subterfuge.

Later he delved into the origin of the irregularity of these days, resolved ex officio until he collided with the wall of Tiafoe.

“I have much more important things than tennis to attend to.

From that basic principle, I will make the right decisions depending on how everything goes in my personal life.

I had to make an effort here, and I did.

It has not turned out as I would have liked, ”explained the champion of 22 majors.

“It is time to

.

It's been a tough few months.

It's time to start over, professionally speaking.

Now is the time to have the first child and trust that everything will turn out well”, continued the number three in the world, who despite the elimination could return to the top of the circuit on Monday depending on the casuistry;

Carlos Alcaraz and Casper Ruud are the other applicants.

Filming, freshness and “intangibles”

For a long time, the top of the

is not something that Nadal attaches excessive importance to.

Much less today.

"I have tried it.

He had trained well, he was happy;

then, in competition, I lack freshness, filming, tranquility, intangible things... The reality is simple: I haven't played well, and when that happens you have to lose.

That's what sport is about.

Whatever it is, I haven't been able to perform at the level I needed from the first day”, continued Nadal, wanting to go home immediately.

Nadal and Tiafoe greet each other on the net. ANGELA WEISS (AFP)

Asked about his plans between now and the end of the season, the Spaniard anticipated that he would like to "try to train again and do a mini pre-season to be able to finish the year in Europe with a good feeling".

In principle, his road map was going to lead him to the O2 in London to meet again with the Swiss Roger Federer in the Laver Cup (from September 23 to 25);

In any case, everything is subject to his personal circumstances: "There is a tournament ahead, if everything else goes well."

It has been a thorny US Open for Nadal, with obstacles from day one.

The Australian Rinky Hijikata forced him to come back in the premiere and in the second season he had to overcome an even more difficult hurdle against Fabio Fognini, after a really difficult night.

Then he had a truce against Richard Gasquet, always docile, but this time he collided with a rival who announced that he was going "for him" and who complied to the letter.

“Fifteen minutes after losing, everything is dark, but it's normal.

But there is no choice but to continue.

It's what I've always done, and I hope I continue to have the strength to do it."

“ALCARAZ?

I WISH HIM WELL"

BC |

New York

Had he reached the final or won the tournament, Nadal would have made sure to become the new number one in the ATP after Russian Daniil Medvedev's defeat against Nick Kyrgios.

However, now his fate is in the hands of Alcaraz and Ruud.

Asked about this question, he stated: “I wish him the best, he is the only Spaniard left and he is having a fantastic year.

He has a good chance of winning the first Grand Slam of his career and being number one, although it is better that he is not, because then I would be, we must not be hypocrites either [laughs]… ”.

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