Nadal Lost Some of His Passion for Tennis After Exiting Finals

Rafael Nadal said he’s lost some of his passion for tennis after a season in which he was dethroned as the top-ranked player by Novak Djokovic.

The Spaniard exited the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London in the group stage last night as France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga sent 46 winners past him in a 7-6 (7-2), 4-6, 6-3 win at London’s O2 arena. It followed Nadal’s most lopsided career loss to longtime rival Roger Federer.

“I had little bit less passion for the game probably because I was a little bit more tired than usual,” Nadal, 25, told reporters when asked why his form has dipped since losing to Djokovic in the U.S. Open final.

The second-ranked Nadal, who had entered the Tour Finals after a five-week break, hasn’t won a tournament since claiming his sixth French Open championship in June. He’s been overtaken atop the rankings by Djokovic, the winner of 10 titles including three Grand Slams. The Serb handed Nadal six defeats in as many finals including at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, where the Spaniard had been the defending champion.

“This year was a tough year for me,” said Nadal, the winner of 10 Grand Slam singles titles. “It was positive for some moments, but at the same time was hard for other moments. I have to accept what happened during the whole season.”

While Nadal is out of the eight-man event in London, Djokovic can still make the semifinals and faces fellow Serb Janko Tipsarevic in his final group match today. Spain’s David Ferrer, who has already qualified after beating Djokovic, plays Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic in the evening session.