Rafael Nadal can turn things around

By embodying a new attitude, Rafael Nadal can return to winning ways

A lot has been made of Rafael Nadal’s career which is all but spiralling downwards at the moment, with many claiming that Nadal does not have it in him to win another Grand Slam. And they might be right too; the last time Nadal’s rank was lower than 10 was in 2005, a decade back.

Since then, his rank has never dropped out of the top 5, with 7 being the worst, courtesy of his dropping out of many tournaments including the 2014 US Open due to injuries.

But enough about his ranking. Nadal has had an enviable career so far, with 14 Grand Slams and a bevy of ATP titles, and apart from the ATP World Tour Finals, has pretty much won everything there is to win. However being the fighter that he is, there is absolutely no way that he would be satisfied with what he has accomplished so far, always wanting to win more.

The issue for Nadal this time is that other players have lost their fear for the Spaniard considering his highly weakened form, with many lower ranked players believing they can beat him, a belief that would have been laughed at a couple of years ago.

Rafa can use this change to benefit his game

As a lifelong Nadal fan, I try to look at the positives to every situation that he has faced and this time is no different.

I honestly believe that Nadal can use this change in dynamics and opinion about him to his advantage. Definitely not a favourite for the upcoming US Open, Nadal can play with abandon without worrying about his opponents or the result which can in turn catapult him to play better. The I-have-nothing-to-lose attitude which was employed in good stead by Dustin Brown in his astonishing victory over Nadal at Wimbledon is something which the latter can learn from and use in his upcoming matches.

Using the wildcard attitude, Nadal can turn around his fear of losing to lower ranked opponents into his former winning mentality, and also retain his erstwhile ferocious play.

I believe that more than fitness, it’s Nadal’s attitude and mentality that's letting him down and denying him easy wins, and if he plays fearlessly, he can get back to his previous form. One or two wins against top players will help him leaps and bounds and will go a long way in reviving his lost spirit.

Nadal and his team should be wise to realize that he still has time to retire, and his belief in himself can be his greatest asset which can help him get back to where he belongs; standing on the podium, giving a victory speech after winning yet another title.

Nadal used to have this look in his eyes which said to opponent - I can outrun you, and outlast you. You hit 15 shots, I hit 16. You hit 25 shots, I hit 26. He has to bring this back to make his opponents fear his tenacity again.

By playing as though he has nothing to lose, it might even be possible to see Nadal play his best tennis yet, provided his knees don’t give up on him. Forget your previous losses, forget your previous wins, and with nothing to lose and everything to gain, you will definitely win again.