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Rafael Nadal in 2018: Fall From Grace Or Career Year?

By Harry Floyd

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 19: Rafael Nadal of Spain ties his bandana in his third round match against Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia and Herzogovina on day five of the 2018 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 19, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 19: Rafael Nadal of Spain ties his bandana in his third round match against Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia and Herzogovina on day five of the 2018 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 19, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images) /
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Rafael Nadal
ROME, ITALY – MAY 19: Rafael Nadal of Spain returns a forehand in his semi final match against Novak Djokovic of Serbia during day 7 of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia 2018 tennis at Foro Italico on May 19, 2018 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images) /

Former world number one Rafael Nadal will close out the year high atop the men’s singles rankings on the ATP World Tour.

Rafael Nadal withdraws from the 2018 ATP Finals in London and we must take a moment to look back on his year. His absence at the end of year tournament is a disappointment but it should not take away from what the Spanish superstar has accomplished in 2018. And… he has in fact accomplished a lot. Much of Nadal’s highlights this year did, however, come before lingering injuries got the best of him. Since then, he has struggled to regain consistency.

Arguably, only Novak Djokovic has had a better year than Nadal. Some may even say Federer too, who took the title at the Australian Open and who will contend for yet another men’s singles title at the ATP Finals in London.

Rafael Nadal peaked this year at the same point that he has throughout the vast majority of his career – during the clay court season.

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His fantastic play culminated mid-season with a French Open win over one of the sport’s rising stars in Dominic Thiem. Showing promise on clay, there is no doubt that the young Austrian will be back into a grand slam final again soon. For now though, Nadal remains the ‘King of Clay.’ He defends his Roland Garros title and wins his 11th at the event. Looking at all five of his 2018 ATP singles titles, Rafa has won just a single title away from the clay courts. That came at the Rogers Cup where he defeated another up and comer in Stefanos Tsitsipas 6–2, 7–6 (4).

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