{"id":1310212,"date":"2019-05-12T23:08:00","date_gmt":"2019-05-13T05:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/rafael-nadal-says-he-is-taking-clay-slump-naturally\/"},"modified":"2019-05-12T23:08:00","modified_gmt":"2019-05-13T05:08:00","slug":"rafael-nadal-says-he-is-taking-clay-slump-naturally","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/local-news\/rafael-nadal-says-he-is-taking-clay-slump-naturally\/","title":{"rendered":"Rafael Nadal says he is taking clay slump \u2018naturally\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"swift-gallery\" readability=\"6.8265014299333\">\n<ul id=\"imageGallery-978100-499\" class=\"gallery list-unstyled\">\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Spain_Tennis_Madrid_Open_81759-97a23-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Spain_Tennis_Madrid_Open_81759-97a23.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"AP | AP | Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts after missing a point against Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece during the Madrid Open tennis men's semi-final match in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, May 11, 2019. Tsitsipas won the match. (AP Photo\/Bernat Armangue)\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"9\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Spain_Tennis_Madrid_Open_81759-97a23.jpg\" alt=\"Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts after missing a point against Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece during the Madrid Open tennis men's semi-final match in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, May 11, 2019. Tsitsipas won the match. (AP Photo\/Bernat Armangue)\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"13\">\n<p><strong>Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts after missing a point against Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece during the Madrid Open tennis men&#8217;s semi-final match in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, May 11, 2019. Tsitsipas won the match. (AP Photo\/Bernat Armangue)<\/strong><br \/>AP | AP<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Spain_Tennis_Madrid_Open_81759-97a23-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Spain_Tennis_Madrid_Open_81759-97a23-1.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"AP | AP | Rafael Nadal of Spain during the Madrid Open tennis match against Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland in Madrid, Spain, Friday, May 10, 2019. (AP Photo\/Bernat Armangue)\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"8.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Spain_Tennis_Madrid_Open_81759-97a23-1.jpg\" alt=\"Rafael Nadal of Spain during the Madrid Open tennis match against Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland in Madrid, Spain, Friday, May 10, 2019. (AP Photo\/Bernat Armangue)\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"12\">\n<p><strong>Rafael Nadal of Spain during the Madrid Open tennis match against Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland in Madrid, Spain, Friday, May 10, 2019. (AP Photo\/Bernat Armangue)<\/strong><br \/>AP | AP<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Spain_Tennis_Madrid_Open_81759-97a23-2-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Spain_Tennis_Madrid_Open_81759-97a23-2.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"AP | AP | Rafael Nadal of Spain returns the ball to Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece during the Madrid Open tennis men's semi-final match in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, May 11, 2019. (AP Photo\/Bernat Armangue)\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"9\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Spain_Tennis_Madrid_Open_81759-97a23-2.jpg\" alt=\"Rafael Nadal of Spain returns the ball to Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece during the Madrid Open tennis men's semi-final match in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, May 11, 2019. (AP Photo\/Bernat Armangue)\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"13\">\n<p><strong>Rafael Nadal of Spain returns the ball to Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece during the Madrid Open tennis men&#8217;s semi-final match in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, May 11, 2019. (AP Photo\/Bernat Armangue)<\/strong><br \/>AP | AP<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Spain_Tennis_Madrid_Open_81759-97a23-3-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Spain_Tennis_Madrid_Open_81759-97a23-3.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"AP | AP | Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates a point during the Madrid Open tennis men's semi-final match against Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, May 11, 2019. (AP Photo\/Bernat Armangue)\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"9\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Spain_Tennis_Madrid_Open_81759-97a23-3.jpg\" alt=\"Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates a point during the Madrid Open tennis men's semi-final match against Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, May 11, 2019. (AP Photo\/Bernat Armangue)\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"13\">\n<p><strong>Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates a point during the Madrid Open tennis men&#8217;s semi-final match against Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, May 11, 2019. (AP Photo\/Bernat Armangue)<\/strong><br \/>AP | AP<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Spain_Tennis_Madrid_Open_81759-97a23-4-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Spain_Tennis_Madrid_Open_81759-97a23-4.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"AP | AP | Rafael Nadal of Spain returns the ball to Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece during the Madrid Open tennis men's semi-final match in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, May 11, 2019. (AP Photo\/Bernat Armangue)\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"9\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/05\/Spain_Tennis_Madrid_Open_81759-97a23-4.jpg\" alt=\"Rafael Nadal of Spain returns the ball to Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece during the Madrid Open tennis men's semi-final match in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, May 11, 2019. (AP Photo\/Bernat Armangue)\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"13\">\n<p><strong>Rafael Nadal of Spain returns the ball to Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece during the Madrid Open tennis men&#8217;s semi-final match in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, May 11, 2019. (AP Photo\/Bernat Armangue)<\/strong><br \/>AP | AP<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"caption-toggle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/sports\/rafael-nadal-says-he-is-taking-clay-slump-naturally\/#\" class=\"show-captions\">Show Captions<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/sports\/rafael-nadal-says-he-is-taking-clay-slump-naturally\/#\" class=\"hide-captions\">Hide Captions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">MADRID \u2014 Usually this time of the year Rafael Nadal is talking about how his game is peaking ahead of the French Open.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The discussion is typically about how many title-winning streaks he has extended and which records he has broken as the clay season moves toward its climax at Roland Garros.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Not this time, though.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Things are different for Nadal in 2019, and he is in an unfamiliar position after a series of disappointing results on his favorite surface.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Instead of celebrating titles and records, Nadal is having to explain why he has struggled to win matches.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cTennis is about winning or losing. I\u2019ve won a lot over the years on this surface, but this year it hasn\u2019t been the case. I\u2019ve been really close, but I haven\u2019t been able to win,\u201d Nadal said Saturday after losing to Stefanos Tsitsipas at the Madrid Open for his third straight semifinal elimination on clay this season.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">He had already failed to reach the final in Monte Carlo and Barcelona, tournaments he had won the last three consecutive seasons. It was an uncharacteristic streak of poor results for the Spaniard, who hadn\u2019t arrived in Madrid without a title since 2004.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Still, Nadal wasn\u2019t dwelling on it too much.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cYou just have to accept it and I have to accept it naturally. But to accept things does not mean to try to change things,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cDuring all my life, I think I have taken the victories very naturally and with a lot of normality. With the losses I\u2019ll do the same. It will be normal and I\u2019m going to accept it naturally.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Nadal lost to Fabio Fognini in Monte Carlo and Dominic Thiem in Barcelona, and the defeat to the up-and-coming Tsitsipas in Madrid came after a quarterfinal win over Stan Wawrinka that Nadal called his best match on clay this season. He couldn\u2019t keep up with the aggressive game of the ninth-ranked Greek on Saturday, though, losing the decisive points to again fail to advance past the last four.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Nadal said not making it to tournament finals as often as he did in the past shouldn\u2019t have come as a huge surprise.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cIt\u2019s more normal what is happening right now than what happened in the last 14 years,\u201d he said. \u201cI think I have tennis ahead of me. I have time ahead of me. I\u2019ll be able to try to win these tournaments that I was not able to win this year. And what I have to do is to stay fit and to keep playing at a high level.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Nadal has won a clay-court title in each of the last 15 seasons and remains the tour\u2019s most successful player on the surface. He next plays in Rome, where he is the defending champion, then will try to win a record-extending 12th French Open title in June.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Nadal said it was impossible to know what the current setbacks could mean for his future.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cWe\u2019ll see,\u201d he said. \u201cHopefully, I will accept this defeat properly and we will see what happens week after week, day after day. I\u2019ll try to work in a proper way, in a proper manner, with a proper attitude and then just believe in my possibilities and believe that things will work out and they will click.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cI\u2019ll keep trying until I can to keep playing at a high level,\u201d Nadal said. \u201cAnd If I can keep doing that, I will continue to have chances. If not, then that\u2019s it. There\u2019s no need to make any drama or overthink when things are going bad. It is a sport and in a sport it\u2019s a matter of winning and sometimes losing and accepting both as naturally as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">More AP tennis coverage: <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/apf-Tennis\" rel=\"nofollow\">https:\/\/apnews.com\/apf-Tennis<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AP%E2%80%94Sports\" rel=\"nofollow\">https:\/\/twitter.com\/AP\u2014Sports<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Tales Azzoni on Twitter: <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/tazzoni\" rel=\"nofollow\">http:\/\/twitter.com\/tazzoni<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/sports\/rafael-nadal-says-he-is-taking-clay-slump-naturally\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: Post Independent<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts after missing a point against Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece during the Madrid Open tennis men&#8217;s semi-final match in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, May 11, 2019. Tsitsipas won the match. (AP Photo\/Bernat Armangue)AP | AP Rafael Nadal of Spain during the Madrid Open tennis match against Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland in Madrid, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[160],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1310212","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-local-news"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-17 07:15:39","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSKE Ski Country","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1310212","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1310212"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1310212\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1310212"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1310212"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1310212"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}