Nadal relives a familiar Wimbledon nightmare

It is also worth remembering that Nadal made five finals at Wimbledon between 2006 and 2011, with the exception being 2009 when he withdrew due to injury. But the evidence of his five-set loss to Lukas Rosol last year and the more humiliating straight sets submission to Darcis yesterday indicate a larger issue for Nadal. The man with the steely heart, but wobbly knees, could be reaching a phase in his life when he is forced to maximise his returns on clay at the expense of the rest of the season.

The Spaniard is renowned for his ability to grind his opponents to death, especially under moments of distress. On Monday, the matador from Majorca was strangely subdued – down a set, the southpaw broke serve right on cue in the eleventh game of the second set. The man we know would have gone on to hold serve and seal the set before wiping his opponent off the court. Not yesterday, when a strangely tentative Nadal fell to 15-40 and it was Darcis who imposed himself to force a second breaker.

Nadal showed characteristic resilience in saving four set points, but then squandered one of his own as the Belgian drew level at 8-8. The Belgian took a two-set lead with impossible calm as he went about his job with raw courage, even as Nadal continued to crumble like an ageing edifice. It was almost as if Nadal was resigned to defeat when he surrendered a break in the very first set of the final set.

Even then, many of Nadal’s followers believed that the indefatigable beast would somehow mount a stirring comeback to take the next three sets. After all, we have grown accustomed to watch Nadal fight for every point as if an entire life depended on it. But as the set progressed, it was becoming painfully obvious that the Spaniard lacked the energy and muscle needed to hold his own against his encouraged opponent.

The Spaniard had one final opportunity in the eighth game, but it evaporated as soon as it was created. The forlorn look on Nadal’s worn visage told a story of its own at the end of that game. It was as if the Spaniard knew he had long ago burnt the lush green grass to attain an eighth French Open crown. His impassive reluctance aside, it was time to admit that Nadal had reached a stage where the transition from clay to grass was proving increasingly impossible, even by his unreal standards.

Nadal might have been disappointed to see that ace down the middle zip past his reach, but he might also have been quietly relieved deep within. The knees are worn again and he probably does not really need another test on the skidding grass of Wimbledon. After all, he had already achieved the French – Wimbledon double – not once, but twice. It will be interesting to see how long Nadal needs to recuperate his energies, and if he does, will he remain a factor on the hard court stretch later this season.