"Too many doubts, too many questions" - Rafael Nadal full of self-doubt and 'bad feeling' after Italian Open 2R drubbing against Hubert Hurkacz
Rafael Nadal's 2024 Italian Open campaign came to an end on Saturday, with the Spaniard falling in the second round to seventh seed Hubert Hurkacz. More than the loss, it was the manner in which he lost, as Nadal appeared full of self-doubt and ill feeling at his press conference.
The former World No. 1 lost serve four times, with Hurkacz winning 6-1, 6-3 in a little over 90 minutes. Elaborating on the loss, Nadal admitted that it was a tough day for him in every conceivable way and that it gave him a "bad feeling" he had not expected to have in Rome.
While the 37-year-old emphasized that he had to accept the situation, he was left more uncertain by the fact that some unknowable factor was creating too much doubt in his mind on the court.
"Tough day for me in all ways because I felt more ready than what I showed. That's give me a bad feeling because feeling myself better not being able to show myself on court," Rafael Nadal said.
"Something else is something that in some way create me doubts. That's it, no? Just accept the situation. As I said before the tournament start, I am little bit more unpredictable today, not playing enough for the last two years. Too many doubts. Too many questions in all ways, in different matters on the game," he added.
"I was not able to push him back" - Rafael Nadal on his loss to Hubert Hurkacz in Italian Open second round
Rafael Nadal, dissecting the loss, opined that he started well but didn't have enough gas in the tank to push Hubert Hurkacz back as the battle went on.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion felt that the Pole's big serving made the real difference at the end of the day, as he found it difficult to return it in the slighly smaller courts at the Italian Open.
"I think have been a tough one, obviously. It's obvious that I started well the match. First few games, almost half an hour first two games, having a few chances and playing well. Then he was much better than me in the second. I don't have that feeling in the first, but in the second, yeah. I was not able to push him back," Rafael Nadal said.
"That's the case, no? Starts to be more difficult. Here is not the biggest court. He was serving well. It was difficult for me to return. It's difficult to feel yourself with real chances of come back with his serve and without being able to create enough damage to him and creating mistakes. That's it. Just accept that," he added.
Hubert Hurkacz will next take on Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the third round of the Italian Open, while Nadal will continue preparations for the French Open coming up at the end of the month.