Rafael Nadal confident he will be 100 per cent ready for Australian Open

He is still taking things step by step, but Rafael Nadal is positive that he will be fighting fit when the Australian Open gets underway.
Nadal hasn’t played competitive tennis since he retired from his US Open semi-final match against Juan Martin del Potro at the beginning of September.
He will make his comeback at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi this weekend and he was asked about his recovery ahead of his appearance.
“Good, going step by step. I am not making steps back, just steps forward all the time, taking care of my body after a while without having a chance to be on court and trying to do things slowly,” he said.
“It’s important for me to protect the body and to avoid tough circumstances. I know I have time to be ready for Melbourne at 100 per cent.”
Of course being injured and staging a comeback is nothing new for the 17-time Grand Slam winner and he is certainly drawing on experience in terms of dealing with the latest setback.
“After the second part of the year, have been tough last year in terms of injuries but that happens and that’s part of my tennis career too,” he added.
“Just try to stay calm, try to work the right way and when I’m back I know things are not easy, I know at the beginning you always have tough feelings and pains in the body that normally you don’t have.
“But I have experience in all of this and try to be ready for the everyday practices and when (I) arrive (at) the matches I don’t have to ask myself big things at the beginning, just trying to be positive with every improvement and that way normally you get the right point.”
More from Tennis365:
-
-
Tennis betting preview: 2/1 Germans our Hopman hope despite Federer factor
-
Gallery of stars Down Under: Roger Federer with a western rock lobster, Naomi Osaka with a python
-
Quiz! Test your knowledge on the career of the legendary Bjorn Borg
-
EXCLUSIVE: Judy Murray identifies one reason why her sons have reached the top
-
Comment: Grigor Dimitrov’s disastrous year proves nothing is guaranteed for Alexander Zverev
-
Latest
-
Tennis News
Andy Murray facing ‘huge year’, but brother Jamie says former world No 1 still has ‘a lot of great tennis in him’
Jamie Murray on brother Andy’s comeback hopes.
-
Tennis News
Daniela Hantuchova praises Naomi Osaka for being a ‘wonderful inspiration in women’s tennis’
“What a wonderful young grown-up lady she has become.”
-
Australian Open
Spanish player feels ‘abandoned’ after positive coronavirus test: ‘It’s the worst experience of my career’
“It’s far and away the worst experience of my career.”
-
Australian Open
Rafael Nadal’s thinly veiled jibe after Novak Djokovic quarantine pleas: ‘Some of us help each other privately’
Rafael Nadal has his say on the quarantine saga.
-
Kevin Palmer
Exclusive – Barbara Schett insists Novak Djokovic had good intentions with his letter to Australian Open chief
Barbara Schett talks to Tennis365 about Novak Djokovic.
-
Tennis News
Former world No 1 urges Australian public to give Novak Djokovic ‘another chance to explain himself’
“He was being a leader and it just came off wrong in the public.”
-
Tennis News
Ashleigh Barty happy to ‘knuckle down’ and get back into routine ahead of Australian Open
Ashleigh Barty ready for her big comeback.
-
Australian Open
2021 Australian Open prize money breakdown: Smaller cheques for winners, boost for first-round losers
A look at the 2021 Australian Open prize money.
-
Tennis News
Nick Kyrgios ‘very misunderstood’, but he will ‘always have your back’, says fellow Australian
“We’re almost brothers – pretty close.”
-
Tennis News
Changes made to ATP and WTA schedules to aid those affected by quarantine
Players will also be given priority for gyms and ice baths.