LONDON — So good for so long on the clay at the French Open, where he’s won 59 of 60 career matches, Rafael Nadal is suddenly mediocre on Wimbledon’s grass, where he’s surprisingly been beaten twice in a row.

What a 15-day swing for Nadal: from a record eighth championship at Roland Garros to a quick-as-can-be exit at the All England Club in the only first-round Grand Slam loss of his career.

Noticeably limping and generally out of sorts, Nadal departed Wimbledon with a 7-6 (4), 7-6 (8), 6-4 loss Monday against 135th-ranked Steve Darcis of Belgium — a shockingly early and straightforward result that ranks among the most memorable upsets in the grass-court tournament’s history.

“Two weeks ago, I was in a fantastic situation, winning a fantastic tournament,” Nadal said. “Two weeks later, I lost here in the first round. That’s the positive and the negative thing about this sport.”

Shaking his head as he leaned back in a black leather chair at his news conference, Nadal said: “Nobody remembers the losses. People remember the victories. And I don’t want to remember that loss.”

Others surely will.

“As a fan of tennis, it’s probably disappointing that he’s out, because he’s a fun guy to watch,” reigning U.S. Open champion Andy Murray said after his straight-set victory Monday. “He’s one of the best players that’s ever played, so it’s a shame in that respect.”

Indeed, Nadal’s 12 Grand Slam titles are tied for the third-most in tennis history. That includes two trophies from Wimbledon, in 2008 and 2010, part of a six-year stretch in which he reached the final five times from 2006-11.

But a year ago, Nadal lost in the second round to Lukas Rosol, a player ranked 100th at the time. After that setback, Nadal missed about seven months because of a bad left knee. Since returning, he had gone 43-2 and reached the finals at all nine tournaments he entered, winning seven.

Two days before Wimbledon started, Nadal spoke about having more trouble on grass than other surfaces lately because its low skids force him to bend his knees so much to reach shots. Nadal decided to skip a grass-court tuneup tournament between the French Open and Wimbledon, opting to rest instead, and arrived in England on Tuesday to begin preparing in earnest.