By Edet Ikotidem
Rafael Nadal says he doesn’t know when he will play again after losing the fourth round of the US Open.
The 36-year-old Spaniard, whose wife is pregnant, was defeated on Monday in four sets by American Frances Tiafoe.
“I have to go back. I have to fix things, life, then I don’t know when I’ll be back,” said the 22-time Grand Slam champion.
“I’ll try to be mentally ready. When I feel ready to compete again, I’ll be there.”
Nadal will play at the Laver Cup in London from September 23-25 alongside Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.
The loss to 22nd seed Tiafoe was Nadal’s first Grand Slam loss this year.
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The US Open, which he hoped to win for the fifth time, was only the second tournament he had appeared in since pulling out of the Wimbledon semi-finals with a stomach injury.
After a first loss to Borna Coric in Cincinnati, Nadal traveled to New York and never felt comfortable with his first two wins.
The second seed improved against Frenchman Richard Gasquet but was overwhelmed by Tiafoe in front of a raucous crowd in New York. “The difference is simple: I played a bad match and he played a good match,” said Nadal, who won the Australian Open and French Open titles that year.
“I couldn’t keep a high level in tennis for a long time. I wasn’t fast enough in my movements. He could take the ball too many times very early, so I couldn’t push him away.
“Tennis is a positional sport. You have to be very, very fast and very young. They are no longer in that moment. ” Nadal’s defeat – along with Marin Cilic’s – means there will be a Grand Slam winner in the men’s singles for the first time.
