Rafael Nadal is out of Wimbledon. The former champion bowed out in four sets to the "dangerous" Dustin Brown with the score of 5-7, 6-3, 4-6, 4-6. The German, who has beaten Nadal in the past, played a solid serve and volley game, using drop shots and sliced forehands at every opportunity to overpower the Spaniard. Brown, who managed to maintain an exceptional form throughout the match, also took advantage of Nadal's poor serve with aggressive responses.

Like Us on Facebook

"If I would stay back and rally with him left, right, that would not be a very good match for me," Brown said as reported by CNN. "Obviously I try to play my game." And it was enough to dismantle the former no. 1 who apparently entered Wimbledon with good expectations.

At 29 years of age, it seems that Nadal has more years ahead of him to capture more slams and maybe even break records. But critics are now questioning his game. His lost to Brown marks his fourth straight exit from the All England Club in the hands of a player outside the top 100. Coming into the American hardcourt season, the Spaniard already has 12 losses and continues to fall in the rankings.

It's undoubtedly hard to explain Nadal's downfall as he has always been a formidable force on court with a never-say-die attitude. Many times he has been put to the test and one could only wonder how he was able to get through with such perseverance.

Nadal was once reported to have suffered from anxiety and lack of confidence. But with 14 grand slams under his belt, it's still difficult to pinpoint whether these factors are indeed the culprits for his dwindling performance.

"I don't know if I will be back to the level of 2008 or 2010," Nadal told BBC. "My motivation is try to be back to that level. But I've got to keep working. If I don't make that happen then I've played five finals and taken the trophy back home two times, so that's not bad."

Still, the question remains if Nadal will be able to recover and find his winning form once again. Though slumps are as common as first round losses, sometimes there can be more to it than hackneyed guesses. For now, fans can do nothing but wait and hope for the Spaniard to rise out of the ashes. 

Tagsrafael nadal wimbledon, nadal wimbledon, wimbledon 2015 scores, wimbledon 2015 results, wimbledon dustin brown, Dustin Brown, wimbledon tennis, dustin brown nadal, wimbledon tickets