By Bill Simons
Rafa Nadal’s 2015 was said to be Shakespearian. Tweeter Marine Coroller played her Romeo card, asking, “O Rafa, Rafa! Wherefore art thou Rafa?”
S.L. Price suggested, “Rafa is Hamlet. He has more questions. His implacable force has gone missing, maybe forever…For the first time, it’s possible to imagine him never winning another major.”
Rafa’s forehand no longer punishes without mercy. His confidence no longer soars with little doubt. Goodness, the claymeister was not even the best clay court player in 2015, and he didn’t win the French Open for the first time in six years. Ranked No. 5, for now he’s out of the Big Four mix. There were seemingly inexplicable high-profile losses to Dustin Brown and Fabio Fognini, and questions about the future of his coach, his beloved uncle Toni. We heard Rafa waver, telling us, “I am feeling more tired…feeling that I don’t have this self-confidence…when I hit the ball…I need to fix again the nerves, the self-control…In the past I have been able to change a lot of negative situations …I want to do it again…I hope I can…[But] I don’t know if I can win another Grand Slam.”
We don’t either. But don’t count out this great champion. First Rafa will have to do well at the Aussie Open, where he often struggles.
