Rafael Nadal admitted on Monday he wasn’t sure when he would be back in action after Frances Tiaffo condemned him for his earliest US Open exit since 2016.
Four-time American champion Nadal lost 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 to 26th-ranked Tiafo in the last-16, bidding for his 23rd Grand Slam title.
The American’s free-swinging performance included 18 aces and 49 winners, overtaking the sluggish Nadal at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Asia Cup 2022: full coverage , Schedule , Result
For Australian and French Open champion Nadal, it was the first Grand Slam loss of 2022, when he lost his Wimbledon semi-final due to an abdominal strain.
The defeat ended a run of 16 consecutive Slams where the Spaniard had at least made it to the quarter-finals.
“I have to go back. I need to fix things. I don’t know when I’m going to be back,” Nadal said at a news conference.
“I’m going to try to be mentally prepared. When I feel like I’m ready to compete again, I’ll be there.
Nadal has had a rollercoaster year.
His two Slam titles have put him one clean from Novak Djokovic, but his physical weaknesses have also returned to haunt him.
Nadal suffered a stress fracture of the ribs in March before requiring daily pain-relieving injections in his left leg for his 14th French Open title in June.
Then his bid for a third Wimbledon crown was broken by a stomach injury.
Nadal is due to become a father for the first time in the coming weeks, a factor that will weigh heavily on his future on-court plans.
“Now that I have to go home, I have more important things to do than tennis,” he said.
“The decision will be made based on how everything goes in my personal life, which comes before my professional life.”
He continued: “It’s been a little difficult for a few months, but I want to end the year with something very important which is my first child.”
Nadal is set to return to the Laver Cup in London from 23 September. He has already qualified for the ATP Tour Finals to be held in Turin in November.
Despite doubts over his future plans, Nadal told Spanish media that he would not rule out playing again this year.
“I will do a mini pre-season in Europe to end the year in good spirits and that is what we are going to try. There is a tournament ahead if all goes well,” he said.
Tiafo is 12 years his junior to Nadal and on Monday the Spaniard admitted that age was becoming a factor.
“I wasn’t able to push him back. Tennis is a game of position at times,” he said.
“If not, you need to be very fast and very young. I am not in that moment anymore.”
read all Latest sports news And today’s fresh news Here