Rafael Nadal ahead of schedule in preparation for 2019 season after ankle surgery

Rafael Nadal’s season finished early in 2018 due to ankle surgery but the world No.2 has revealed he’s ahead of schedule in his return and preparation for the Australian summer, starting with the Brisbane International.

Brisbane-bound Rafael Nadal has revealed he started hitting balls one week earlier than first planned after his ankle surgery early last month.

Nadal, top seed for the Brisbane International, which starts on December 31, says he is having a better pre-season than he had for the 2018 Australian circuit, when recurrent knee trouble led to a late withdrawal from the Queensland Tennis Centre tournament.

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“I started practising tennis one week earlier, and in higher intensity than we had thought,” Nadal told CNN.

“It was a little bit of risk that we don’t make it into the beginning of the season, but here we are, practising more or less hard and we are excited to start the new season.

“Being honest, we are having a better off-season than last year. I finished the year very bad with my knees and I didn’t arrive very well prepared to the beginning (of the 2018 season in Australia).

Rafael Nadal is having a better pre-season heading into 2019 than he did for 2018.

“I am making a lot of steps forward since the surgery. I am still excited about starting another season.

“At the age of 32-and-a-half, I never expected when I was 22 (or) 23 to still do what I am. That’s something that I appreciate a lot.’’

Nadal’s insights from his Spanish training camp are welcome for Brisbane International organisers and match the positive information coming privately from the world No.2’s advisers last week.

The relentless Spaniard will test his match readiness in an Abu Dhabi exhibition on Friday, and Saturday if he wins his first match, before he flies to Brisbane.

Nadal donated 1 million euros to help victims of the floods in his home island, Mallorca, it was revealed on Saturday.

In October, the tennis champion was photographed donning gumboots and wielding a broom to help out in the clean-up after the tragedy in Sant Llorenc which claimed the lives of 13 people.

Nadal will be the top men’s seed at the Brisbane International. Picture: Getty

“It was terrible, scary and very sad.” Nadal said.

The 17-time Grand Slam title winner finished just seven tournaments in 2018, winning the French Open and four other titles.

Nadal did not play his last two scheduled tournaments and fell behind a resurgent Novak Djokovic in the rankings.

“A year that you finish as the world No.2, you win a Grand Slam title, you win three Masters 1000 (title) obviously, it is a good year,” he said.

“To be able to manage to keep winning important things, it has been an amazing year in terms of quality of tennis.’’

Nadal will be top seed for the Brisbane International, which he has played once, reaching the quarter-finals in 2017 when he played all three matches in front of capacity 5500-strong crowds at Pat Rafter Arena.

Second seed Kei Nishikori, ranked ninth, is playing an exhibition match in Hawaii on Monday.

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