Tennis – Mubadala World Tennis Championship – Worldwide Tennis Centre, Zayed Sports activities Metropolis, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – December 18, 2021 Spain’s Rafael Nadal in motion throughout his third place play-off match in opposition to Canada’s Denis Shapovalov REUTERS/Christopher Pike
Spain’s Rafa Nadal mentioned he can not assure he’ll make the journey to Melbourne for subsequent month’s Australian Open after returning to motion on the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion’s comeback on the exhibition occasion — his first match look for the reason that Citi Open in Washington in August — led to two shut defeats by Andy Murray and Denis Shapovalov.
Nadal, 35, spent 4 months on the sidelines with a foot damage. He was knocked out at Roland Garros within the semi-finals and was pressured to tug out of Wimbledon, the Tokyo Olympics and the U.S. Open.
“The concept is to go there and check out my greatest there in Australia… Being 100% sincere, I can’t assure it,” Nadal mentioned. “I would like to talk with my crew.
“It’s greater than six months for the reason that final actual official match. Issues are tough and I settle for that… I used to be capable of compete in each matches and even had my possibilities, so if we put that in perspective it’s a really optimistic factor.
“I went by means of this course of sadly a whole lot of instances in my tennis profession however I must apply and I have to be wholesome sufficient to undergo this course of. If that occurs, I’m assured that I shall be again.”
World quantity six Nadal mentioned he wouldn’t have returned to tennis if he didn’t really feel he was aggressive sufficient to problem for the most important titles within the sport.
“I’m not enjoying in any respect for cash or simply for enjoyable, I’m enjoying to maintain attaining objectives or not less than to benefit from the course of to attempt to obtain my objectives,” he added.
“If then you definitely don’t obtain, it’s advantageous, however the motivation and the fervour remains to be there.”
The Australian Open begins on Jan. 17.
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