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Rafael Nadal Sees Novak Djokovic As ‘Winner,’ Gives Up On French Open 2016?

By Jenny Cox
Published on: 19:16 PST, Apr 11, 2016

Rafael Nadal, the former world number one, is caving under the dominance of Novak Djokovic. He even dubbed the Serbian champion as the “winner” with clay court season in full spring. Does this mean that Rafael Nadal is ready to give up on his favorite tournament, French Open, before it even began?

“Rafael Nadal believes defending champion Novak Djokovic will be the man to beat at the Monte Carlo Masters as the world No. 1 aims for a strong start to his French Open tilt,” reports ESPN.

“Everybody wants to be in his position now,” Rafael said according to ESPN. “When you win it’s easier to keep winning and when you lose it’s easier to keep losing. It’s always those same dynamics, especially with an unbelievable player like him. It’s difficult to stop. He’s going to be the favorite for every tournament until somebody shows something different. He’s the player of the moment without a doubt. Everyone sees him as the winner.”

While some believe that the Spaniard telling it as it is will benefit his mind game as French Open 2016 approaches, some see this as giving in to the game before anything has begun.

He gave a much more defeated speech after Miami Open 2016.

“Watching Novak Djokovic at the Miami Open made me realize that even if I get back to being a top player it’s still not enough as he is playing like no one can beat him. I don’t think I can beat him ever,” he said according to Sportsrageous.

“He’s still playing well but just like me it’s just not enough against Novak,” Rafael added. “Roger will make the semis or finals of the tournaments but he’s always going to get beat by Novak. It’s pointless so just enjoy your time with your family.”

Of course, this shocked all his fans and sent them in a frenzy, thinking that he might retire on a low note. He has not been playing well ever since he came back from his injury, and he has not won any Grand Slam tournaments.

But on his social media accounts, he continues to put up a strong front, showing that he is keeping himself positive and training hard for the favorite time of the year — clay court season.

To warm up properly, Rafael Nadal has also picked up doubles tennis with his compatriot Fernando Verdasco. They started the matches yesterday, and the pair got past the first game in Monte Carlo.

The Spaniard has also said that he is struggling to keep his mind in check as he tries to improve his game.

“I feel like in the past couple of years I managed to train my mind to stay as much as possible in the present moment and focus on what’s coming up next,” he said according to ESPN. “But when you need to operate as a human machine, you need to do that only in the present moment and in the present time. When that time comes for me, I will start thinking about it more than I do now.”

With French Open 2016 just over a month away, Rafael Nadal may be feeling the pressure to win a tournament.

Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic is poised to take home another trophy to warm up his game for the French Open. He has enjoyed dominance in the world of men’s tennis, unprecedented after the fall of Roger Federer to Rafael Nadal in late 2000s. So far, Novak Djokovic is the unquestioned champion.

“It is highly improbable that Djokovic can put together this miracle sequence, as it would demand the most consistent run of excellent winning performances in big tournaments the game has seen,” reports Guardian. “He is already on a roll of three successive slams – and, in an era of unprecedented demands on legs, lungs and mind, a player who red-lines as much as Djokovic at the very edge of his capacity would be vulnerable – mentally as much as physically.”

Do you think Novak’s winning attitude and performance will make other players cave under pressure in French Open 2016? Let me know in the comments below!

[Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images]

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