Rafael Nadal (Photo : Getty Images)
French actor Jean-Paul Belmondo believes Rafael Nadal is in the "final stop" of his illustrious career, with the Spaniard continuing to struggle on the hard court and fail attempts to get back in his old form.
Belmondo is probably one of the many who witnessed Nadal's entire professional career in tennis. The 82-year-old French actor, who was initially associated with the New Wave of the 1960s, thinks Nadal could still compete physically, but may have reached the final phase of his career.
"Rafa is great from the physical point of view, but I think that he has reached his final stop," Belmondo told Le10Sport as translated by Tennis World USA.
Nadal, who has not won a Grand Slam title since the French Open in 2014, may have found himself in another tight spot at the start of the 2016 season.
The 29-year-old Mallorcan had suffered a stunning loss in the opening round of the Australian Open against compatriot Fernando Verdasco, then extended his losing streak after upsets at the Argentina Open and Rio Open last month against Dominic Thiem and Pablo Cuevas, respectively.
These defeats could be signs that Nadal is gradually losing his game and could very well be heading down the path to retirement, but his uncle and coach Toni insists the world No. 5 is still full of enthusiasm playing the sport.
"It's been 10 years since 2005, when he has won his first Slam title, but Rafa is doing well physically," Toni said told Spanish media outlet AS as translated by Vavel.
"In Rio, against [Pablo] Cuevas, he arrived well to the third set in a long and very hard match. He has all the enthusiasm."
But despite all the optimism from Nadal and his camp, this year could be another hard-fought season for the Spaniard as he battles to regain his elite form while maintaining his position in the world rankings.
According to the ATP's official website, Nadal is currently ranked at No. 21 at the ATP Race to London with 430 points so far. The rankings may not entirely define his success on tournaments, with his main goal being able to compete once again at a high level. However, it does suggest that Nadal has a lot of catching up to do, which could pressure him more of getting back into his winning ways.
