Rafael Nadal insisted on Sunday that his Wimbledon final defeat to Novak Djokovic was not the worst of his career, claiming his double dose of Australian Open misery was tougher to take. Nadal, the defending champion, was beaten 6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 by the red-hot Djokovic who will take the Spaniard's world number one spot on Monday.
But for Nadal, the memories of Melbourne are still raw for the 25-year-old, who was in tears in January after his injury-ruined quarter-final against compatriot David Ferrer. A year earlier, knee tendinitis forced him to retire from his quarter-final with Andy Murray.