By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, December 16, 2021
"I am doing all the things to try to be the best because I am still passionate and still confident that I am able to play with no limitations. So that’s the goal," Rafa Nadal told the media in Abu Dhabi.
Photo credit: Mubadala World Tennis Championship
The desert is a proving ground. Rafael Nadal believes his body will pass the test in his return to tennis.
Nadal returns to action for the first time in more than four months at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi tomorrow. Tennis Channel will televise Nadal's comeback match live starting at or after 10 a.m. Eastern time on Friday, December 17th.
More: TC to Televise Rafa Nadal's Return Match
Meeting the media today, the 35-year-old Spanish superstar said his appearance in Abu Dhabi is a sign of the physical progress he's made after a chronic foot injury forced him to pull the plug on his 2021 season last August.
While Nadal is pumped to play again, he says his primary goal is to play pain free after an injury-interrupted 2021 that saw him finish 24-5.
"It’s been crucial to be able to manage pain. It’s time to test it during the competition and if I wasn’t feeling better, I wouldn’t be here," Nadal said. "The comeback won’t be easy, I don’t have big expectations, but my only expectation is to be here, play in front of a great crowd again, to feel myself competing again against great players and enjoy!
"It’s been a really rough period of time for me. Just being here is great news and I hope I get better and better to be able to play at the level I want to be."
Regaining his lofty level of play requires match play. That's why Nadal views this week's Abu Dhabi exhibition and his Tour-level return at the Melbourne 250 tournament set for January 3-9th as foundational events and likely his lone match preparation for the Australian Open, which starts on January 17th.
Ultimately, Nadal still has the passion and purpose to play for major titles, the question remains can he stay healthy enough to prepare propely and compete with the intensity it demands?
Candidly, Nadal concedes he can't answer that question at this stage of his comeback.
"I have been very selective in the tournaments I compete at over the last five years and it’s nothing new for me," Nadal said. "My goal is to have the chance to be selective. Be healthy enough to choose the matches I want to play or don’t want to play. My priority today is to enjoy, have fun and feel competitive again.
"I am doing all the things to try to be the best because I am still passionate and still confident that I am able to play with no limitations. So that’s the goal. I don’t know what’s going to happen but that’s the only thing that is sure and I am trying my best to do everything in my power to try to give myself more chances."
After Abu Dhabi, Nadal will return home to Mallorca to celebrate Christmas with his family before leaving for Melbourne for what he hopes will be 20 days of training down under before the Australian Open.
The AO could be a major crossroads with the men's Grand Slam record on the line.
The Big 3—Djokovic, Nadal and Roger Federer—are deadlocked at 20 Grand Slam titles apiece.
Two-time Olympic gold medal champion Nadal says while all three are on equal ground now, Djokovic's superior 2021 level of play—and the fact rival Federer is rehabbing from his fourth knee surgery and the Spaniard himself is coming back from a foot injury—put the 34-year-old Serbian in the driver's seat to attain the men’s major mark.
"I am no one to confirm what determines who the best player of all time is," Nadal said. "I have been out of the competition for the past five to six months. I understand the conversation is always there especially around Novak. He’s been competing every week almost but for me and Roger, we have been injured for such a long period of time.
"I mean, of course we’re equal but the chances for Novak are much higher than us. He is healthy, is competing and doing well. Let’s see what happens in the next couple of months. If I am back again, we can talk about that later in the season. Now my real goal is to be back and to healthy and competitive. If that happens, let’s see."
The king of clay's lone Australian Open title came in 2009 when he scored successive five-set marathon wins over Fernando Verdasco and Federer to take the title.
A four-time AO finalist, Nadal bowed to Djokovic in the 2019 final and couldn't close a two-set lead falling to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the 2021 quarterfinals.
Looking ahead to Melbourne next month, Nadal says he retains a deep desire for the fight and sees major possibility ahead.
"In this sport, my experience says things change very quickly. What might seem impossible or almost impossible is true as no one knows what can happen in a month," Nadal said. "The only thing that I want to do is be healthy and then play the tournament before Australia. I want to be there 20 days before the tournament begins so I am able to practice.
"I have been doing a great job at home, practicing well, with the right attitude. I’ve been working a lot on my fitness. I have been able to do all these things despite my foot so you never know what’s going on. My expectation is just to be in Australia and be there healthy enough to play the tournament with positive feelings. I know it’s going to be super difficult for me as I am just going to play one tournament before Australia and two matches in Abu Dhabi. So the amount of hours on court and the competitive level before such a tough and demanding tournament like Australia will be no match but the main thing is always the same. I need to be healthy. I still have the interior fire to keep going and to fight."