Rafael Nadal’s searing honesty has always sustained him in troubled times and, while the Spaniard is perhaps a couple of defeats short of a crisis, he admits this summer has not been one of his best.
So, two weeks out from defending his French Open title and just shy of his 29th birthday, it was no surprise to hear him dissect his travails here with typical candour.
“Today I am not as good as I was,” he said. “I don’t know if tomorrow I am going to be as good as I was. Life has been fantastic for me – and it still is.