Rafapocalypse?

It's fair to say that the last 12 months for Rafael Nadal have been dismal. A wrist injury, appendicitis, huge confidence issues and defeats to low-ranked players have all raised alarm bells that the 14-time slam champion is in trouble. His ranking has slipped down to number 10, his lowest standing for a decade.

Over the last four years, he's lost early in Wimbledon to players with three-digit rankings. This year, his second round defeat came to Dustin Brown. Why? Firstly, the German's game is incredibly sporadic. His serve is unpredictable, and his play aggressive. The vast majority of his winners were created inside of the court, with quick net play. During the match yesterday, points were kept exceptionally short. The  main issue for Rafa was that he was unable to create any momentum or rhythm, meaning he just didn't have the time to set up winners. Rafa didn't play atrociously, against a player with a game which is a nightmare for him, he did a good job. Brown played the match of his life. A combination of a fantastic player, Rafa's worst surface, major confidence issues and predictability led to the loss. It's not a shock. An upset, yes, but definitely not a shock. When you delve into the logistics of the match yesterday, it's not difficult to see why Rafa didn't come out with a victory.

I don't think anybody predicted Rafa winning Wimbledon, but as a fan, part of what I do is trust him and believe he can win every tournament he enters. It's always hard when he suffers a loss, especially one so early in such a special tournament like Wimbledon. Personally, I took it really hard as I was at Wimbledon when he lost. It was my first time, and now it's hard to think of my day without that bad memory looming over me.

In terms of the future, I don't think this loss has much to do with it. It's hugely disappointing for Rafa and understandably, he's sad, but in the long term I think he'll use it as motivation. It's not the end yet. I know that for sure. His career continues, this is just another setback. At the end of the day, it doesn't tell us anything that we already don't know. Rafa is struggling mentally and is not able to compete in the way he used to.

The road back to his best may never be complete, and that's something we have to come to terms with. We're no longer waiting for the old Rafa to come back, we are experiencing a new Rafa. I don't believe Rafa will ever be like he was, mentally invincible and able to beat anybody. That's okay, though. There comes a time when every player reaches the point where the best is behind them. This year, I believe we've hit that point, whether we like it or not.

Having said that, I strongly believe that he will improve and play at a great level again. Not a level that wins ten tournaments in a year, but a level that is solid and dependable. The first step to that happening is a full season. Consistency is key, and if Rafa can play the season from start to finish with no injuries, we're well on our way to achieving that.

Media are treating the loss as a disaster, which I think is just incredibly over-dramatic. There are 128 players in the draw, 127 of them have to lose. It's sport. Yes, it was to a low ranked player in an early round, but that doesn't tell the full story. Dustin played well and Rafa didn't. It happens.

Rafa's team have come under harsh criticism, especially Toni, as many urge him to get a new coach. Perhaps that would work in the long term, but I think that the trauma of removing his uncle from his team, one that have been together from the start, would cause more harm than a fresh face would do good. Ultimately, there's one player on that court, so losses are down to the player, and him only. No coach can repair Rafa's mental issues, that's a job for a psychologist, or alternatively, a solution is to be patient.

The only thing we can do now is accept the situation and try our best to adapt. It's not been an easy year and it's unlikely to miraculously get better, either. We have to remember that this is way harder for Rafa than it is for us. Our job now is to enjoy the roller coaster as best as we can because we never know when it's going to end.

Doubts- Rafa

Doubts run through every tennis fans head. They're inevitable, necessary. However, the doubts running through Rafa fans heads are often unnecessary. When you want a win for a long time, doubting it makes pulling it off even more special. When the doubts are constant though, it gets tougher to try to ignore them.

After every loss Rafa has, the journalists rub their hands together in glee and get writing. They have another opportunity to portray Rafa as the crumbling, diminishing tennis star. It's very negative and it's tiresome. I'm not going to lie and say they don't worry me. The doubts are in the back of my head all the time, and they're weighing me down.

'Will Nadal win another slam?'
'When will the former champion be finished?'
'Retirement beckons for Nadal.'

Those are just some of the headlines I see on a daily basis. Being a fan is hard enough as it is, but with these so-called professional opinions spread across the tennis world, it's even harder. So far, I'm proud to say that every time he's faced with these doubts, he delivers. He proves everybody wrong time and time again. That's special.

Why do these journalists keep doubting him though? One day, Rafa might not prove everybody wrong. They are waiting for that moment, and quite frankly, it terrifies me. Every single year questions regarding Rafa's Roland Garros record arise. Surely one year he won't win? What happens if he doesn't? What's scary is the doubts that will come after/if he loses at the French Open. Retirement will be uttered from all the media's lips.

It's hard to have this burden over you constantly, but when the hard times pay off, my god it is worth it. Last years Roland Garros win was unforgettable. I will never regret becoming a fan because even though it's tough, moments like that make me feel on top of the world.

I guess the moral of the story is, every time this happens, every year, the media are not right. For sure, they'll be a time when they get their glory, but right now, they're not going to win.

Rafa is not finished, he's not over, he will fight. I can guarantee you that he'll put in 100% and find a way to prove everybody wrong… once again.

Vamos.

Australia 2015 Draws To A Close for Rafa

It's the 27th January, otherwise known as Day 9 of the Australian Open. Today, Rafa played Berdych in his quarterfinal match and he was defeated 6-2 6-0 7-6.

The first two sets were very bad from Rafa. DF's, countless errors, little depth and weak shots allowed Berdych to dominate. It wasn't the Rafa we knew whatsoever, and he was very frustrated with himself for playing so badly.

We knew it wouldn't be that easy for Tomas though, he is Rafa after all. In the 3rd set we saw sparks. By the end of the set, he was relatively back to normal. (Definitely not great, but a lot better than before) Unfortunately, it was too little, too late. He fought very hard, but Berdych held his nerve incredibly well, and didn't give any points away in the tiebreak.

It was a difficult and quite bizarre match to watch. We don't really have any answers to why it went like it did, but we don't have to. It's sport, and losing is just routine. Rafa said he had no physical problems in his presser afterwards.

I'm a little disappointed of course, you always want more for Rafa and have your eyes on the prize. I wanted this very badly but realistically, it was a big ask after a long absence.

If you asked me three weeks ago, 'Do you think Rafa will reach the quarterfinals?' I would have probably said no, so he's done incredibly well. He played some great matches, including that incredible comeback against Tim.

I'm very proud of him and I'm so excited to see what the rest of the season has to bring.

Rafa is travelling back to Mallorca on the 28th January, and will start his training on Monday, to prepare for the South American part of the season. He will play in Rio de Janeiro to defend his title and Buenos Aires. Both clay! Yipee!

I'm so excited to see him back in action again after a successful week in Melbourne.

Positive thoughts, people! This is only the beginning! The comeback 2015 has just begun!

Vamos.