Rafael Nadal: Why Rafa's Struggles Are All in His Head

Rafael Nadal is on unfamiliar ground with his tennis game. He is doubting his body and his game and will consequently not succeed at the 2011 US Open.

Nadal's game has been deteriorating since Wimbledon, and it has altered his mental approach. There is not enough time for him to correct this troublesome course in time to win the last Grand Slam of 2011. 

Nadal's struggles can be traced back to injuries. He hurt his foot at Wimbledon. While he was able to play through it, he was not the same. It robbed him of some of his explosion.

Following his foot injury, he also suffered burns on his finger that have plagued his game.

He has performed admirably, but instead of getting better, Nadal's game is headed in the wrong direction.

The injury has now moved into his head. You don't have to take my word for this. Nadal admits as much, telling The Guardian:

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"My movements are not prefect, [there are] more mistakes than usual with the forehand. I have to play more inside the court, more aggressive."

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Nadal is currently in the middle of tweaking his on-court play, and it has shown in his results. This a disturbing trend, and one that is not easily reversed. He was ousted in the quarterfinals at the Cincinnati Masters. That was just two short weeks ago, and that is not enough time for Nadal to iron out his deficiencies at the US Open.

Don't look for Nadal to advance past the quarterfinals of the US Open. In fact, I don't even expect him to get there. I am calling a third-round exit for this great champion.

Until Nadal has time to get healthy and return to the player that attacks the court without fear and with aggression, he will not be able to claim any titles.

The good news for Nadal is that his slump is not irreversible. It is just irreversible in the short term. I expect Rafa to return strong in 2012, but as far as the 2011 US Open goes, forget about Nadal making any waves.

Nadal needs time off. He needs to step away from the game for a while and heal. This will allow him to play recklessly wonderful tennis once again.