“I’m 30 years old. After having the career that I have, it is not a question of pressure,” answered Spaniard after his US Open loss to world no. 25 Lucas Pouille. Rafael Nadal has not won a Grand Slam in last two years, his career has been plagued by injuries more than ever and it is only the second time in his career that he failed to make it to the quarter-finals of any Grand Slam in a calendar year.

The question is quite obvious and has been ringing in the heads of most Tennis followers and critics alike.

End of the greatest era in Tennis

Roger Federer is no longer the player he was, and neither is Rafael Nadal. The two greatest Tennis players of the 21st century have been surpassed by their competitors. The Swiss, though on the wrong side of 30 is still going as strong as he possibly can. But Nadal, on the other hand, still has some time at his disposal if not much. He turned 30 this June and vows to keep fighting for his love of Tennis to give his fans the sheer joy of watching him play.

This definitely is not the end of Rafael Nadal. But, he will need to bring in a lot of changes in his game to keep functioning at the top of his game. To start with, Nadal’s lefty forehand is not as ferocious as it used to be, while his lethal serve has deserted him quite often.  

However, Nadal is no stranger to hardships in his career and can still revive his career. He ends 2016 Grand Slam calendar without winning a major for the second consecutive time, after winning at least one major each year in the past decade. He currently sits with 14 Grand Slam Titles in his career, and going for number 15 is not a two-way battle, as it once was.

In awe of Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal is one of the most successful tennis player there has ever been. He won his titles with passion and vigour that makes watching him live a highly cherished memory for the faithful. His game always looked painful, with his wild forehands that came with a groan. His game required a lot of running and sliding. Nadal’s image of Tennis was appealing because it made the game look difficult.

To watch Nadal, in simpler words, is to be awed.

Nadal in distress

It feels as if, one moment he was biting the trophy in Paris and the very next, he was struggling to make it to the second week at a major. He never looked half a step short, but appeared to have lost a couple steps at times.

Fourth seed, Nadal, now exits another major tournament the US Open 2016 in fourth round. This doesn’t sound like a surprise anymore. There is no shock. There is no awe. But the same news would have erupted a series of “Man on Moon” headlines just a couple of years ago. Now, it is just another thing that happened in the world.

There were times in the last decade when the Spaniard seemed vulnerable, when he was besieged by his knee problems. And, has resulted in many critics predict a premature end to his charismatic career. But he always came back in Paris; he’s always recovered in time for Paris and win. But not this time, he was forced to withdraw this year.

Rafael Nadal has always been dominant in ATP tournaments, which is how he went 227-8 on clay between 2005 and 2011. Nadal builds his momentum winning lower-tier events. And, the fact that he isn’t winning those events now is a clear sign of distress.

Will that change and Nadal improves with a Grand Slam(s) winning bid is yet to be seen. Either way, he is yet to say his final “Adios” to the game and till then anything can be expected from the lethal lefty.