‘Don’t know when I'll be back. I have more important things than tennis': Rafael Nadal after US Open loss

Trust Rafael Nadal to always be his biggest critic. Keeping the injury battles aside, Nadal has had one of his best years in recent times in Grand Slams, which ended on Tuesday with his defeat in the US Open round of 16 match against USA's Frances Tiafoe. This was the 22-time Grand Slam winner's first defeat in a Grand Slam this year after winning the Australia Open, French Open and pulling out of the Wimbledon semi-final due to an injury. Despite all this, Nadal was not ready to 'find any excuses' for 4-6, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6 loss to Tiafoe.

"We can make lamentations or we can complain now about a lot of things, but I don't think that's going to change any situation," he told reporters. "We can't find excuses. We need to be enough (of a) critic with myself. That's the only way to improve or that's the only way that I understand you are able to find solutions."

The defeat ended a run of 16 successive Slams where the Spaniard had made at least the quarter-finals.

"I need to go back. I need to fix things. I don't know when I going to come back. I going to try to be ready mentally. When I feel that I will be ready to compete again, I will be there," he added.

Nadal has endured a rollercoaster year.

His two Slam titles have taken him one clear of Novak Djokovic but his physical frailties have also returned to haunt him.

Nadal suffered a stress fracture of the ribs in March before requiring daily pain-killing injections in his left foot to see him through to a 14th French Open title in June.

Then his bid for a third Wimbledon crown was shattered by an abdominal injury.

Nadal is due to become a father for the first time in the coming weeks, a factor which will factor heavily into his future on-court plans.

"Now I have to go home, I have more important things than tennis to attend to," he said.

"Decisions will be made based on how everything goes in my personal life, which comes before my professional life."

He added: "It's been a bit difficult for a few months but I want to finish the year with something very important that is my first child."

Nadal is scheduled to return to action at the Laver Cup in London from September 23. He has already qualified for the ATP Tour Finals in Turin to be staged in November.

Despite his doubts over his future plans, Nadal told Spanish media that he won't rule out playing again this year.

"I will do a mini pre-season to finish the year in Europe with good feelings and that is what we are going to try. There is a tournament ahead if everything else goes well," he said.

Tiafoe is Nadal's junior by 12 years and on Monday, the Spaniard admitted that age is becoming a factor.

"I was not able to push him back. Tennis is a sport of position a lot of times," he added.

"If not, you need to be very, very quick and very young. I am not in that moment anymore."

(With agency inputs)