Rafa Nadal will need all the support he can muster if he is to continue with the ATP fianls in Turin where he has plenty of family support from his wife Xisca and ofcourse his new born son. Rafa admitted that he must do better after Taylor Fritz stunned him 7-6(3) 6-1 in his first match on Sunday.
Rafa arrived in Italy having only competed in one singles match since his fourth-round U.S. Open loss two months ago and his lack of recent competition showed as he was unable to keep pace with Fritz as the match wore on.
"I need more matches to play at this kind of level, even if I am practising well, much better than how I am competing, without a doubt. That's normal," Nadal told reporters.
"At the end is not the ideal tournament and probably part of the season to come back after a couple of months without being on the tour because you don't have time to get confidence."
Nadal grabbed a 6-5 lead in the opening set when he held to love for a fifth time but then lost the opening three points of the tiebreaker and could not find his way back. Rafa faces Felix Auger Aliassime in an all important game tomorrow which he must win to continue at the finals.