Rafael Nadal is a top name in the world of tennis. He is normally around until the climax of most major tournaments.

Things have changed for the Spaniard, however, a lot of which started when he started incurring injuries last year. As a result, Nadal has struggled and is simply not the same explosive tennis player that most people used to know.

Nadal took yet another blow when he surprisingly bowed out in the first round of the Australian Open. He was the No. 5 seed and was the champion back in 2009.

The culprit behind his early exit was a Spanish tennis player as well, namely, Fernando Velasco. He shocked Nadal in five sets (7-6(6), 4-6, 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-2) that lasted nearly five hours.

With a surprising loss, Nadal is left pondering on what went wrong. He prepared hard for the tournament and his unusual departure has left even him thinking on what he could be possibly doing wrong.

“The match is a tough loss for me, especially because it’s not like last year when I arrived here playing bad and not feeling ready for it,” said Nadal via USA Today.

“I have been playing and practicing great and working so much,” he continues. “You know, it’s tough when you work so much and arrive at a very important event and you go out too early.”

The struggles of Nadal have been glaring.

In the last three major tournaments he has been in, his performance hasn’t exactly panned out. Has the game changed a lot or does he need to change something on his end to climb back up to his usual billing?

After losing his title at Roland Garros, there was a suggestion for him to consider changing coaches. He is currently guided by his father, Toni Nadal, who has been behind him since the start. Relationship aside, Nadal quips that a change of coach is not the answer. Everything happening to him lately is due to bad luck.

Regardless of the slump he is in, not too many are ready to downgrade Nadal.

“If I were his coach, the first thing I would do is remind him of his greatness, which it appears he doubts sometimes,” said Jim Courier from the New York Times.

Then there is the observation made on his serve by retired tennis player Justin Gimelstop.

“When he was at his best and you look at his stats, he was serving in the low 130s and high 120s. Now he’s just spinning the ball in, it seems. For him, there’s only so much you can run down.”

If Nadal wants to figure out what he is doing wrong, that could be a great place to start.