LONDON — Seven-times grand slam John McEnroe knows how it feels when a tennis career starts going in the wrong direction.
That's why he is paying careful attention to Rafa Nadal's current travails as the Spaniard prepares to try and win a record-extending 10th French Open.
At nearly 29, Nadal is already four years older than McEnroe was when he claimed his last grand slam title.
And after a season in which once rare defeats on his favored claycourts have arrived with alarming frequency, no wonder many believe Nadal has reached a tipping point.