(Reuters) – Rafa Nadal is ready to make his comeback from injury on the Mubadala World Tennis Championship exhibition event in Abu Dhabi this week and the Spaniard stated on Thursday he hopes he can get again to his finest in time for subsequent month’s Australian Open.
Nadal has spent the final 4 months on the sidelines with a foot injury whereas he additionally struggled with again points at first of this yr.
The 35-year-old Spaniard was knocked out at Roland Garros in the semi-finals earlier than he was compelled to drag out of Wimbledon, the Tokyo Olympics and the U.S. Open. He final competed in August on the Citi Open in Washington.
“I’m feeling higher, if not I cannot be right here. That’s the purpose, I do know the comeback won’t be simple,” Nadal informed reporters.
“I haven’t got huge expectations now, however my solely expectation is to be right here, to play in entrance of a fantastic crowd once more, to really feel myself competing once more towards nice gamers after which get pleasure from.
“It has been a really robust time frame for me actually, so simply being right here is a superb information for me, simply having fun with the state of affairs and I actually hope the foot goes to get higher and higher, to be once more on the means and on the degree I need to be.”
Nadal is tied with world primary Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer on a file 20 Grand Slam wins.
An Australian Open champion in 2009 and likewise a four-times runner-up in Melbourne, Nadal stated he hopes to play one event earlier than the season’s first Grand Slam from Jan. 17-30.
“I’m combating to be prepared if the state of affairs adjustments, and I really feel myself wholesome and I’m able to play the event earlier than Australia and be there for 20 days earlier than the event, the Australian Open begin, and practising,” he added.
“I’ve been doing a fantastic job at residence, practising nicely with the best tactic and depth, working lots on my health.”
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Alison Williams)
