You have to use your mouse's scroll wheel for a long time to get to the date in Rafael Nadal's "Ranking History" on the official ATP website when the record winner of Roland Garros last time outside the top 10 of the ATP world rankings was led. It was April 24, 2005, to be precise - a date when one or the other enthusiastic tennis teenager of today was not even born.

The final cancellation of the "Bull from Manacor" for the Sunshine double in the USA has now created the fact that "Rafa" will have to say goodbye to the elite group of the ten best players (for the time being) on March 20th. In the summer of 2015 it almost got that far, but in the end the ex-world number one was still able to stay in the hard-fought top 10 saddle.

The ultimate goal - Roland Garros

But now the time has definitely come, and in an interview with the international media platform "Movistar", Nadal was sad about the situation on the one hand, but in the end remained pragmatically positive: "Of course I'd rather be in the top 10, that's clear. But in the end you have to take things as they come. With all the injuries I've had over the past 18 years, it's almost a miracle I've never finished outside the top 10."

The most important thing is health anyway, especially after a year with multiple physical problems - a broken rib, torn abdominal muscles, problems with the injured foot and now the injury to the large psoas muscle. "I have to be able to fight for what I want to achieve and the ultimate goal first has to be Roland Garros," said the 22-time Grand Slam champion.