Rafael Nadal Return News: Spanish Tennis Superstar Aiming to Shake Off Rust in 2015 ATP Qatar Open in Doha
Rafael Nadal will look to move one step closer to regaining his old form when he competes at the 2015 ATP Qatar Open starting Tuesday as part of his preparation for the upcoming Australian Open.
Nadal, who missed the final two months of competition last year after undergoing appendectomy, was rusty during his showdown against Andy Murray at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship on Friday in Abu Dhabi, where he took a lopsided 6-2, 6-0 loss.
In an interview with The National, Nadal said he is not expecting to win the title in Doha as he is still aiming to shake off rust, admitting he is struggling to regain his confidence and rhythm.
"The more matches I can play the better for my health," Nadal said. "If I am able to win a couple of matches it will be fantastic. If not, I am ready to accept everything, and that I will need to take time."
While he is not aiming for the title in Doha, Nadal, who will face Michael Berrer in the opening round of the Qatar tournament, pointed out that he will go all out in all matches because a win or two will definitely boost his confidence moving forward.
"I hope to be competitive soon," Nadal said. "It's not an ideal situation in which to be trying to win a title again. If I can win a couple of matches, maybe the feeling will be different for me."
The 28-year-old tennis superstar added that fans should not expect a remarkable comeback similar to what he did in 2013. After a long layoff in 2012 due to a knee injury, Nadal had a memorable run in 2013, winning the French Open and U.S. Open that year, but the Spaniard insisted that his current situation is different.
"The people remember my comeback of 2013, but the truth is I came back in a perfect situation for me and perfect conditions for me, not playing on hard conditions, on clay, 250 tournaments, better and possible for my recover my feelings," Nadal said via Tennis X. "Today is a different story. The tournament is different. The surface is different. Is difficult to imagine something like happened few years ago."
For the latest sports news, follow Latin Post Sports on Twitter.
FOR MORE TENNIS UPDATES, CLICK ON THIS LINK TO VISIT LATIN POST.COM'S SPORTS PAGE.
Subscribe to Latin Post!
Sign up for our free newsletter for the Latest coverage!