Tennis sources have added that soon after Rafael Nadal suffered a surprising five set defeat to Lucas Pouille, the hypothesis that the bull from Mallorca might be withering away gathered steam and though the Spaniard remained defiant in his post match comments, father time is ticking away, slowly yet surely as it's imprudent to write off a warrior like Nadal, but it is beginning to emerge that his best summers are a thing of the past.
It is stated that Nadal's quest for a 15th major title has been on hold since 2014, when he won his ninth French Open crown at Roland Garros and he has injuries to the knee and wrist have been partly to blame, but Nadal has reached no further than the quarter-final stage since that victory in Paris.
Even when the chips were down, Nadal ground out victories with an irrepressible spirit that saw him retrieve balls with ceaseless accuracy. He frustrated opponents into conceding defeat, through sheer tenacity and willpower and he has certainly showed glimpses of the fight within that makes him such a feared warrior.
Sources have also stated that he will also need to take advantage of his left-handed action, using placement as an effective tool in his armory and his hard work, so long the central dogma of his game, will need to be supplemented with some intelligent choices, as he chases a remarkable 15th Grand Slam title.
