MADRID (Reuters) – Rafa Nadal, number two in the world, said on Thursday that doubts remain about his fitness ahead of next week’s Australian Open.
Nadal pulled out of Spain’s ATP Cup tie against Australia on Tuesday with a lower back problem and, despite some improvement, said he was still far from the level required to play at the ATM. first Grand Slam of the year.
“Not only am I in a bad way, but I’m also not okay with not being able to play anymore,” Nadal told Spanish television channel Movistar +.
“I’ve improved a bit but I’m not in a position where I can go and play a game at full intensity.”
Nadal’s name was also absent from Spain’s ATP Cup tie on Friday against Greece at the John Cain Arena at Melbourne Park with Roberto Bautista Agut and Pablo Carreno Busta to lead the challenge in the singles matches for the finalists. last year.
However, the 34-year-old worked for an hour on Thursday night at Rod Laver’s Arena and his fitness was “gradually improving,” a source close to Nadal told Reuters.
Nadal will sit side-by-side with Roger Federer on 20 Grand Slam titles and, with the Swiss not to take part in Melbourne after knee surgery, the Spaniard would have a chance to be a major record keeper in the men’s game for the first time.
He insisted, however, that this was not something he was aiming for. “The first and the first thing is to play the Australian Open, and if that doesn’t go well, the season will go on,” he said.
“I’ve never been pregnant with Grand Slams, to be honest.”
Reporting by Joseph Walker and Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; Edited by Ken Ferris