Tennis: Nadal's dream now all but over

MELBOURNE - Rafael Nadal believes it will be almost impossible to repeat his 2010 heroics after having his holy grail quest for Grand Slam glory crushed at Melbourne Park.

The shattered world No 1 yesterday confirmed he suffered a hamstring tear early in his gallant 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 Australian Open quarter-final loss to Spanish countryman David Ferrer.

"I've got a small muscle tear," he said. "I know that there's something wrong, but I also know it's not serious."

Nadal was due to fly home for further tests but hoped he would not be sidelined for as long as last year, when he missed five weeks after retiring with a knee injury midway through his Australian Open quarter-final against Andy Murray.

That loss was his only Grand Slam defeat of the year as the brilliant Spaniard became the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to win the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open titles in the same season.

While vowing to return strong as ever, Nadal senses he has missed his date with destiny and will never again have the chance to match Laver's historic feat of winning all four majors in succession.

"Last year I had a fantastic year," he said. "I think it is almost impossible to repeat that.

"I am a very, very lucky sportsman about what happened in my career. And I have to accept the fantastic moments that I had during a lot of years with the same calm that [I do] when I have problems.

"If I am ready to accept both things, [treating] everything the same, I'm going to be able to come back and play my best tennis."

Nadal said such calm acceptance and hard work would be pivotal in bouncing back from a second consecutive Australian Open disappointment.

"The tennis career, you have higher moments and lower moments," he said. "I had almost all the time very, very happy moments and very nice moments in my career.

"That's part of the sport. Last year, I was very lucky. I was healthy most of the year.

"I was playing unbelievable during all the year ... [I must] accept, keep working, try my best in the next tournament - that's what I can do."

Nadal hopes his injury is not nearly as serious as the chronic knee problems that have dogged his career and also prevented the 24-year-old from defending his 2008 Wimbledon crown.

"This is different," he said.

"I had a problem, big problem, in the knee in the past. So was hard for me to have another time the same. I didn't see a solution in that. This is not the case."

The nine-time major winner said he did not contemplate retiring against Ferrer, saying he hated quitting against Murray in what was the only default of his Grand Slam career.

"I hate that moment. I didn't want to repeat that."

- AAP