We’ve been here before, haven’t we? This is the fourth year in a row we’ve been left to reflect on an early Rafael Nadal defeat to a player outside the top 100, this time to the dazzling Dustin Brown. “Nadal’s ‘shock’ exit is no shock,” says one headline. “Paths increasingly diverge for Federer and Nadal,” writes the New York Times. John McEnroe, meanwhile, believes Nadal should axe Uncle Toni and “get a new damn coach”.
Nadal has spent his career bullying opponents, unravelling them with his vicious spin and ability to run and run. But the bully is now being bullied, his forehand is more fallible and his movement is not as sharp as it was.