World No. 4 Rafael Nadal said he remains humble in Madrid hoping his comeback goes well and he ends the tournament in a positive frame of mind.
Nadal has not played in any event since the start of the season on clay after a rib injury forced him to withdraw from Monte Carlo and Barcelona.
Nadal hasn’t played a tennis match for a month and a half and admits that in Madrid it won’t be easy because he’s missing games. “I have improved compared to my arrival here [à Madrid]but I still have ups and downs, because it’s been a long time.
It will be a difficult week,” Nadal was quoted as saying by the ATP Tour. “That is the reality. You have to stay calm, you have to accept that things are far from perfect, but then you have to fight.
I am recovered. I feel good. It’s a very tight tournament for me,” Nadal added when asked about his preparation time. “You’ll have to take the positives and maybe have a good time playing on the court.”
We have to be patient. You have to be humble day after day to see what happens. I will try to improve myself every day”
Nadal focuses on the present
Nadal had a surprising start to the season by winning an ATP event in Melbourne and then a record 21st Grand Slam title at the Australian Open.
Nadal acknowledged that this year’s Australian campaign has been memorable, but stressed that he has put that behind him and is focused on the challenges ahead.
Nadal’s big goal for this season on clay is to win a record 14th Roland-Garros title. “In our sport there is not much time left to think about the past and in my case in Australia,” Nadal said.
“Australia was amazing, without a doubt, one of the most emotional moments of my tennis career. But in the last month I have been thinking about my injury. It is not a sport where you have time to celebrate a lot of victories if we want to.” stay competitive for the next events, and that’s what I try to do, even with my results.”
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