Spain’s Rafael Nadal exited the Australian Open 2021 after losing in the quarterfinal to Stefanos Tsitsipas. Although the Spaniard lost, it was one of the most entertaining matches of the tournament. The Greek player won the match after being two sets down, to eventually win the next three sets and seal the match in his favor.

Due to that result, Rafael Nadal faces a risk of not qualifying for the season-ending ATP Finals 2021. Along with the Spaniard, last season’s US Open champion Dominic Thiem and former World No. 1 Roger Federer are amongst the high-profile players facing a similar fate as Rafa’s.

Rafael Nadal is on the 11th spot in the February rankings

At the end of February, Nadal is on the 11th spot in rankings, whereas the Austrian ace and the Swiss sensation are not to be seen in the top 15 rankings. Last season, Rafa lost in the quarterfinal of the Australian Open, which indicates that he defended his points. Thiem was a finalist in Melbourne last year, and his fourth-round loss this year meant that he faced a loss of points.

On the other hand, Federer has not played a competitive match since last season’s Australian Open. As a result, he is at the receiving end and is not featuring anywhere close to the top 8 spots.

However, as the season is in its early stages, these three supreme athletes will surely look to bounce back and take their chances during the remainder of the season. Although, Dominic and Rafa will have it slightly difficult as they are defending champions at the US Open and French Open respectively.

On the contrary, since Roger has not played most of last season, he doesn’t have any points to defend and will only gain points on his return. He is expected to play his first competitive match at the Doha Open 2021, which begins in the second week of March.

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