Because he hasn't good enough offensive skills to win matches quickly against anyone half good and allows himself to get run ragged by the likes of Thiem and Cilic and then has to stop playing for a few months. His choice entirely.
His offensive skills are working well this tournament as he's been putting in the work in the off season but, equally so, he hasn't played anyone good yet so it's not a true indication of where his game is at.
Ironically and none of the Nadal camp have even copped it, he pulled out of the AO 2013 with a sore tummy and claimed he hadn't enough time to practice but 6 years later he doesn't give a shit about no practice. Modern medicine, eh ?
This post is garbage. I mean that's a pretty impressive feat, considering you're responding to A-P, whose post itself in this thread (and in general) is barf inducing. Sorry man, you know I like you but:
A) Nadal had ankle surgery last fall.
B) Nadal "not having the offensive skills" being a narrative in 2019 is a fucking joke. That talking point has sailed a long time ago.
C) Nadal's offensive skills this tournament are not some improvement or anything. In fact, he's played a bit below par and has played much better offensive tennis in the past.
D) The implications that Nadal is on PEDs by a Roger Federer fan are hilarious. Of all the things Fed fans lack any sort of awareness about, their PEDs accusations always take the cake. I will state this again: Your favorite athlete takes banned substances. Not you Front. A general "you." Cristiano Ronaldo? Messi? Mayweather? Serena? Nadal? Federer? Djokovic? Tom Brady? They've all done it, as they should. I don't understand how naive you have to be to think that with all the advancement in science, that athletes with so much on the line aren't looking to take advantage. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying they're injecting themselves with steroids like pro wrestlers, but they are taking banned substances, or substances that will go on to be banned in the future (all the more reason why current drug testing rules are a joke).
Why is it that all of a sudden guys are able to play at a insanely high level in EVERY sport at an age where athletes used to be washed up or retired all of a sudden? Advanced training and nutrition? Like you said, modern medicine, eh?
Tom Brady, Lebron, Roger Federer, Serena, Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan... At their respective ages, no athletes in history performed at this high a level.
So you're telling me Nadal is a potential abuser but the most successful tennis player in history, who still moved like a fucking gazelle late into his 30's and plays for 4+ hours without breaking a sweat is all natural eh? Yeah, makes sense. Also, didn't Roger take 6 months off in 2016 and returned in 2017 magically moving, hitting and playing better than he has in years?
