Madrid: Spanish tennis great Rafael Nadal, ranked No. 1 in the world, said he is keen ‘to play in Abu Dhabi, Brisbane and the Australian Open’ but emphasised that ‘a month (still) remains’ and he wants to take things ‘step by step’ with his injured knee.
“I didn’t end the season in the best way possible … My knee doesn’t have to be better right now, the aim is for within a month,” Nadal stated during a promotion event here Monday.
Nadal, who withdrew from the last tourney of the season, the ATP Finals, due to an injury to his right knee, said that he will resume training Tuesday.
“I ended the season with injuries and I need to take the time to recover well. That’s why I’ve taken a few weeks of rest. I need to get started again. I intend to play in Abu Dhabi, Brisbane and Australia. That would be the ideal situation and I’m going to try and make it happen,” said the Spaniard, who has just concluded a vacation in the Bahamas and also went to watch Tiger Woods in action.
Despite his premature end to the season, Nadal ended the season with six titles, including two Grand Slam titles – the French and the US Open – climbing to the No. 1 spot in August, a position he was able to maintain until the season’s close.
“We’re in a totally results-oriented world and everyone must follow his own path. When you feel that you have to do things in one way and they don’t go well, then you have to make decisions right away to correct them. This year, I played in 18 tournaments, which is not very many,” Nadal pointed out.
Indo-Asian News Service
