Rafael Nadal (Photo : Lintao Zhang | Getty Images Sport)
The rapid decline of Rafael Nadal from the most dominant player in the world to virtually an early-round whipping boy at Grand Slam tournament is one of the great mysteries right now in tennis.
But for former world's no.1 Carlos Moya, Nadal's problem isn't complicated at all. He believes that his ongoing struggles should never be tied with his injuries the past few years. Instead, the blame should be put on Nadal's mental state, which Moya thinks isn't as sharp as it was during the Spaniard's glory days.
Moya told reporters via Tennis World USA:
"You can see he wants to play more inside the baseline. Against Verdasco, he was a metre inside the baseline, but he wasn't doing any damage. Positioning isn't everything. Being a metre inside the baseline and pushing the ball, that's not the answer.
"Right now, Rafa is a bit confused when he plays under pressure. He should develop this game without thinking. Right now, we see him thinking."
Moya, a former French Open winner, pointed out Nadal can return to his old dominant form once he learns to play under pressure again. The Spaniard missed a great deal of tournaments the past two seasons due to injuries, barring him from playing highly-competitive matches.
When asked if Nadal will ever win another Grand Slam title for the remainder of his career, Moya replied with an emphatic yes, adding that his friend will eventually solve his problems and become competitive again in the tour.
The 29-year old Nadal is scheduled to compete in Buenos Aires to defend his crown at the 2016 Argentina Open. There, he will be facing a respectable field of competitors with top veterans David Ferrer, Jo-Wilfriend Tsonga, John Isner and Fabio Fognini also vying for the crown.
