The 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal has admitted that he is feeling vulnerable ahead of his first-round match in Australian Open and said that he needs to build confidence in himself. The defending champion had lost six of his last seven matches since the US Open, which is the worst run of his career entering the Grand Slam.
“Without a doubt. I have been losing more than usual, so that’s part of the business,” Atp. com quoted Rafael Nadal as saying. “I think I am humble enough to accept that situation and just work with what I have today. I need to build again all this momentum. I need to build again this confidence with myself with victories,” he further added. A first-round matchup against 21-year-old Great Britain’s Jack Draper who is just beginning his first full year on the ATP Tour would typically make Nadal the overwhelming favourite, but the fact that Draper is regarded as a difficult draw for the Spaniard, who is seeded first with Carlos Alcaraz out injured, is a testament to Draper’s development. Nadal offered no justification for his recent slump.
The lowest-ranked player he lost to was then-World No. 31 Tommy Paul in the Rolex Paris Masters, but two of those defeats came at the Nitto ATP Finals. “The real thing is I have been losing more than usual. Yeah, that’s the truth. I need to live with it and just fight for the victories. By the way, I didn’t play that bad the first two matches the year. I lost against two great opponents, but having very positive chances to win both matches. I already have been here for three weeks, practising every day with that conditions, with the best players. That helps a lot in general terms,” Nadal said.