Tennis | Wimbledon

Rafael Nadal © Gallo Images

'Wimbledon loss not as bad as Aus woe'



Rafael Nadal insisted on Sunday that his Wimbledon final defeat to Novak Djokovic was not the worst of his career, claiming his double dose of Australian Open misery was tougher to take.

Nadal, the defending champion, was beaten 6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 by the red-hot Djokovic who will take the Spaniard's world No 1 spot on Monday.

But for Nadal, the memories of Melbourne are still raw for the 25-year-old, who was in tears in January after his injury-ruined quarterfinal against compatriot David Ferrer.

A year earlier, knee tendinitis forced him to retire from his quarterfinal with Andy Murray.

"The toughest moment was in Australia and I finished the match and I am injured....in 2010 I have to go out of Australia with an injury. That is the toughest moment. That's the game: sometimes you win; sometimes you lose," he said.

"Three weeks ago I was winning Roland Garros; today I was playing the final here and I lost.

"That's the sport. We started with 128 players. One has to win. I was the second. It's a good result for me."

Shop

Tennis - Know the game
Contains what you need to know about the sport, including equipment, rules, techniques and training tips
R97.95
Open: An Autobiography
He is one of the most beloved athletes in history and one of the most gifted men ever to step onto a tennis court -- but from early childhood Andre Agassi hated the...
R121.95
Tennis - Inside sport
A full-colour spectator's guide to sport. It offers an in-depth look at the sport, from its history and beginnings to the modern game, how it's played, who plays it...
R189.95
A handful of Summers
A handful of Summers is a delightfully uninhibited insider's account of what it was like playing tennis on the international circuit in the 1950s and 1960s – both...
R126.95


Comments

More expert analysis and opinion from Sport24
The opinions expressed by Sport24 experts and bloggers are theirs alone, and do not necessarily represent those of SuperSport

Sports Talk



Tennis guest
Djokovic dominates, Federer finishes strong
Novak Djokovic ruled the first nine months of the tennis season while longtime dominator Roger...

Haze's Comment
New York conversation
Some of the sporting world’s most brilliant performers are inflicted by a worrying malaise that...