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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
NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 07: Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts during his men’s singles semi-final match against Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina on Day Twelve of the 2018 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 7, 2018 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

With Rafael Nadal out of the mix at the 2018 ATP Finals in London, Novak Djokovic remains the heavy favorite to take yet another title.

Rafael Nadal has a checkered past with the end of year ATP Finals. He has never won the event. On top of that, both Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer have exerted their dominance over the finals. Djokovic, in particular, is known for his four consecutive wins at the O2 Arena starting in 2012. He has five total titles at the ATP Finals and Federer has a record six.

The bulk of Rafael Nadal’s grand slam singles titles have come at the French Open. It is no surprise to see him succeed there again on the 2018 ATP World Tour. The question remains though; can Rafa still contend for titles at the other slams moving forward?

2018 could very well be a transition year for the Spanish superstar. Both he and Federer, along with other veterans, are now approaching their schedules more strategically. It makes sense for the King of Clay to structure his season around the tournaments that he is most capable in. Injuries aside, no one can touch Rafa when it comes to the clay court season. He even delayed participation in some events this year and still went on to take four of his five titles on clay. Depending on the severity of his injuries heading into 2019, there is no reason to think that Nadal won’t repeat his brilliance mid-season next year.

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