Madrid Open 2012: Rafael Nadal Shouldn't Blame Loss on Blue Clay

Rafael Nadal is crying about the blue clay at the 2012 Madrid Open after his early exit, but he should be kicking himself for letting a little bit of adversity get the better of him instead.

He lost his third-round match to Spanish countryman Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 3-6, 7-5—the first loss he's ever suffered at the hands of Verdasco.

Per TheStar.com, Nadal expressed his displeasure after the match:

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Being able to move is very important for me and if I can’t move well, I can’t hit the ball well either. If things don’t change, this will be one less tournament on the calendar for me. This surface destabilizes the game. It is a completely different game and I don’t want to take risks.

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I'll definitely concede to Nadal that the blue clay behaves completely differently than the traditional red clay that all the players are used to, but every player had to deal with the same conditions.

Being able to adapt is the hallmark of every true champion. Nadal's inability to do so under these circumstances shows me that he has a long way to go before he will be mentioned in the same breath as guys like Roger Federer, Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras.

It's his prerogative to sulk about the less-than-optimum conditions that the unorthodox blue clay presented at this year's Madrid Open. But the truth is that other players are finding ways to get the job done.

Nadal isn't accustomed to losing this early in any tournament—let alone on a clay surface. He is normally able to dominate his opponents using his elite athleticism to cover vast distances on the court. He wasn't able to do it at the Madrid Open, and now he's throwing a bit of a temper tantrum.

If Nadal blames anyone for his early exit, it should be himself. He should have been able to overcome the challenge of playing under difficult circumstances like so many others, but he let his emotions get in the way.

I'm not saying I disagree with the sentiment that the blue clay should be abandoned for next year's Open. The Madrid promoters should go back to the old red clay. It is simply a better surface.

What I'm saying is that Nadal shouldn't blame the clay for his loss.

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