"Now I have more important things than tennis" - Nadal happy to return to family

| by Balasz Virag

The 2022 US Open early exit was maybe a blessing in disguise for the 22-time Grand Slam champion, Rafael Nadal.

The Spaniard was chasing his 23rd Grand Slam title but things were not ideal back in Spain. His wife was admitted to the hospital in a late stage of pregnancy and so Rafael Nadal was probably also thinking about that when stepping on a tennis court at the 2022 US Open. Eventually, he lost to Frances Tiafoe in the fourth round but now he can return to his family, that really needs him at this moment.

Rafael Nadal furious about wife's hospital visit video becoming public
Rafael Nadal furious about wife's hospital visit video becoming public

“We can make lamentations or we can complain now about a lot of things, but I don't think that [is] going to change any situation,” Nadal said. “We can think, if I [didn’t] get injured, maybe I win Wimbledon. Maybe I win [other] things [in] the past. Or maybe I lost [other] things because I was not able to create this interior power after all that injuries."

“That's part of my career. A lot of times went the proper way; sometimes completely unexpected like Australia, like Roland Garros. Of course, this was not the ideal preparation for me. But in other cases went the right way, even with not the perfect preparation. We can't find excuses. We need to be enough critical with myself. That's the only way to improve or that's the only way that I understand you are able to find solutions,” said Nadal.

Fans furious after gender of Rafael Nadal’s child is leaked
Fans furious after gender of Rafael Nadal’s child is leaked

“I have been practising well the week before, honestly. But then when the competition started, my level went down. That's the truth. For some reason, I don't know, mental issues in terms of a lot of things happened the last couple of months,” Nadal said.

“But [that] doesn't matter. At the end the only thing that happened is we went to the fourth round of the US Open and I faced a player that was better than me. And that's why I am having a plane back home. Now I need to come back home, I have more important things than tennis.”

"My wife is fine" - Nadal calms worries about wife's condition
"My wife is fine" - Nadal calms worries about wife's condition

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