Rafael Nadal out of Australian Open, could lose No. 1 ranking to Novak Djokovic
Top seed Rafael Nadal is out of the Australian Open after being beaten in the quarterfinal by Austrian Dominic Thiem.
The 33-year-old Rafa went down 7-6(3), 7-6(4), 4-6, 7-6(8) to Thiem, who notched his fourth win over a reigning World No.1 and achieved the feat for the second time in the last four majors.
MELBOURNE, VIC – JANUARY 29: Rafael Nadal of Spain prepares to serve during the quarterfinals of the 2020 Australian Open on January 29 2020, at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Jason Heidrich/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 29: Rafael Nadal of Spain plays a backhand during his Men’s Singles Quarterfinal match against Dominic Thiem of Austria on day ten of the 2020 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 29, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 29: Rafael Nadal of Spain plays a backhand in his quarter final match against Dominic Thiem of Austria on day ten of the 2020 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 29, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by TPN/Getty Images)
Rafael Nadal of Spain plays a shot during his quarterfinal match against Austria’s Dominic Thiem at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on Jan. 29, 2020. (Photo by Kyodo News via Getty Images)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 29: Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates winning the third set during his Men’s Singles Quarterfinal match against Dominic Thiem of Austria on day ten of the 2020 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 29, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)
AUSTRALIAN OPEN DAY 10, Rafael Nadal of Spain prepares to serve during his fifth round match against Dominic Thiem of Austria on day 10 of the Australian Open tennis tournament at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Wednesday, January 29, 2020. ACHTUNG: NUR REDAKTIONELLE NUTZUNG, KEINE ARCHIVIERUNG UND KEINE BUCHNUTZUNG MELBOURNE VIC AUSTRALIA PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xMICHAELxDODGEx 20200129001445388300
Spain’s Rafael Nadal uses a towel during a break in his men’s singles quarter-final match against Austria’s Dominic Thiem on day ten of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 29, 2020. (Photo by Manan VATSYAYANA / AFP) / IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE (Photo by MANAN VATSYAYANA/AFP via Getty Images)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 29: Rafael Nadal of Spain in action during his Mens Singles Quarterfinal match against Dominic Thiem of Austria on day ten of the 2020 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 29, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Fred Lee/Getty Images)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 29: Dominic Thiem of Austria and Rafael Nadal of Spain embrace at the net following their Men’s Singles Quarterfinal match on day ten of the 2020 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 29, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 29: Rafael Nadal of Spain thanks the crowd as he walks off court after losing his Mens Singles Quarterfinal match against Dominic Thiem of Austria on day ten of the 2020 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 29, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Fred Lee/Getty Images)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 29: Rafael Nadal of Spain thanks the crowd as he walks off court after losing his Mens Singles Quarterfinal match against Dominic Thiem of Austria on day ten of the 2020 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 29, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Fred Lee/Getty Images)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 29: Rafael Nadal of Spain thanks the crowd as he walks off court after losing his Mens Singles Quarterfinal match against Dominic Thiem of Austria on day ten of the 2020 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 29, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Fred Lee/Getty Images)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 29: Rafael Nadal of Spain thanks the crowd as he walks off court after losing his Mens Singles Quarterfinal match against Dominic Thiem of Austria on day ten of the 2020 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 29, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Fred Lee/Getty Images)
AUSTRALIAN OPEN DAY 10, Rafael Nadal of Spain speaks during a press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz after losing his fifth round match against Dominic Thiem of Austria on day 10 of the Australian Open tennis tournament at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Wednesday, January 29, 2020. ACHTUNG: NUR REDAKTIONELLE NUTZUNG, KEINE ARCHIVIERUNG UND KEINE BUCHNUTZUNG MELBOURNE VIC AUSTRALIA PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xLUKASxCOCHx 20200130001445431951
AUSTRALIAN OPEN DAY 10, Rafael Nadal of Spain speaks during a press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz after losing his fifth round match against Dominic Thiem of Austria on day 10 of the Australian Open tennis tournament at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Wednesday, January 29, 2020. ACHTUNG: NUR REDAKTIONELLE NUTZUNG, KEINE ARCHIVIERUNG UND KEINE BUCHNUTZUNG MELBOURNE VIC AUSTRALIA PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xLUKASxCOCHx 20200130001445431834
Spain’s Rafael Nadal speaks at a press conference after losing his men’s singles quarter-final match against Austria’s Dominic Thiem on day ten of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 29, 2020. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP) / IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE (Photo by DAVID GRAY/AFP via Getty Images)
Spain’s Rafael Nadal speaks at a press conference after losing his men’s singles quarter-final match against Austria’s Dominic Thiem on day ten of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 29, 2020. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP) / IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE (Photo by DAVID GRAY/AFP via Getty Images)
After the loss, Rafa said:
I think he’s playing great. He’s playing with a lot of energy, aggressive, determination. So well done for him. I honestly didn’t play a bad match, no, no. My attitude was great, I think, during the whole match. Good, positive, fighting spirit all the time, giving me more chances. That’s what I tried, no?
Don’t give up in no one moment during the whole match. I give myself an opportunity until the last point. Happy for that because my level of concentration and tennis was better, I think even the concentration than the tennis. But the tennis was not bad at all. It was difficult to play against him.
When the ball was new for me, have been better, honestly. Honestly, I had two breaks with new balls. Then I felt more comfortable with the new balls.
The ball became so heavy. He’s younger, he’s very quick. With these heavy balls, it’s difficult to produce sometimes winners. He has a lot of power, so he’s able to produce these amazing shots from a very difficult position. Nothing to say. Of course, I am sad. I lost an opportunity to be in the semifinals of another Grand Slam. But I lost against a great opponent. And he deserve it, too. Well done for him.
Our champ could lose his place at No. 1 in the FedEx ATP Rankings on 3 February should Novak Djokovic go on to capture his eighth Australian Open crown.
I am sure that Rafa will watch himself and decide that he missed played many opportunities. I believe he did durig tbe match itself and did the bet to correct,thus too much tension to play easily. When he played relaxed, third set, it showed.. Theim played beautifully!!! Hope he beats Doper in the final.
Rest Rafa. You will see your openings and use them in future matches!!!
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
I am sure that Rafa will watch himself and decide that he missed played many opportunities. I believe he did durig tbe match itself and did the bet to correct,thus too much tension to play easily. When he played relaxed, third set, it showed.. Theim played beautifully!!! Hope he beats Doper in the final.
Rest Rafa. You will see your openings and use them in future matches!!!