What Rafael Nadal's Loss to Tomas Berdych Means for 2015 French Open

Rafael Nadal reached the Australian Open final in each of his last two trips to the event but came up short of that high standard in 2015. He was knocked out of the tournament by Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinals in 6-2, 6-0, 7-6(5) fashion.

ESPN Stats & Info provided a shocking stat to come from Berdych's win:

Sports Illustrated's tennis Twitter account summed up the match well: 

Berdych connected on 10 aces and 46 winners, while Nadal collected 26 unforced errors. The 6-0 second set was the first time Nadal was shut out in a major set since 2006, and only the second time ever according to ESPN Tennis. 

Nadal, who extended his streak of winning at least one Grand Slam title to 10 years at last season's French Open, was a question mark in the weeks leading up to the Australian Open. His lack of top form after battling injuries and undergoing appendix surgery in the latter half of 2014 was a concern.

He even opted to play some doubles as he worked to get some match fitness back. It was a successful effort in Doha earlier in January as he took home the doubles title with partner Juan Monaco. He had been knocked out of the singles portion of the event in his first match against Michael Berrer.

Afterward, Prajwal Hegde from The Times of India passed along comments from Nadal, who said the tournament was a net gain despite the singles defeat.

"It was a positive week for me," he said. "When I landed here, I hadn't been competitive for a long time, only a few matches after Wimbledon, for almost six months. Then I loss in the first round in singles. It was good for me to win the doubles title with a very close friend, it was a positive end to the week for me."

The result at least allowed him to build up some previously absent positive vibes. It was still unclear what type of performance he was going to put together in the year's first major, though.

Nadal is only 28, but his consistent string of fitness issues in recent years is definitely a concern. His grind-it-out style of play has taken its toll.

Trying to preserve his body, whether by further limiting his schedule outside of the majors or cutting down on practice sessions, should be the goal. It's easier said than done, however, due to the busy stretch starting with the French Open in May and Nadal's desire to maintain good form.

One thing's for sure: The big events are always more exciting when he's around. He's a fan favorite and adds another layer of intrigue to the majors.

Looking ahead, the best news for Nadal is that the next Grand Slam event on the schedule is the French Open. He's captured the championship in Paris nine times in the past 10 years, even in some seasons in where he came in lacking great results.

It will be interesting to see how often he plays in the couple months between the majors and whether his level of play rebounds during that time. He's still part of that select group of top players when healthy. Staying there has been tough in recent years.

That said, arriving at Roland Garros should put a little extra bounce in his step, regardless of how "The King of Clay" plays leading up to it.