Brisbane International: Rafael Nadal coy on retirement, reveals mindset for Australian summer

Forced to sit the year out through injury, Rafael Nadal has limited expectations ahead of his return to competitive tennis at the Brisbane international - and that could spell trouble for his rivals.

Rafael Nadal is making no bold predictions for his Australian return but says he is in better shape than predicted a month ago as he prepares for his comeback from a year-long absence at the reborn Brisbane International.

Speaking at an event in Brisbane’s Queen Street Mall in front of more than 1000 adoring fans, Nadal was making no predictions about his future in the sport or his results this summer.

The 37-year-old arrived in Brisbane on Thursday with just a month of intense practice under his belt following a year-long battle with injury.

But he remains one of the most competitive players in the history of the sport and will wring every drop of potential from himself during the Aussie summer.

Just returning to the sport after a battle with debilitating hip and back problems was a victory, he said.

Plenty of players are predicting the Spaniard will hit the ground running in Brisbane.

And while he joked that they “probably did not watch me in the last year”, he was not totally writing himself off either.

A relaxed Rafael Nadal ahead of the Brisbane International. Picture: Patrick Hamilton/AFP

“I am feeling good,” he said.

“I can’t complain. I feel much better today than what I expected one month ago but for me it’s impossible to think about winning tournaments today.

“But what’s possible is to enjoy the comeback to the court.

“I don’t expect much, honestly, the only thing that I expect is to be able to go on court, to feel myself competitive and to give my best.

“And then it’s going to be a tough process in the beginning … it’s one year without being on the tennis court.”

Most of the practice he has been able to do in his comeback has not been at elite intensity either.

“I just have been practising for the last month in a very good intensity,” he said.

“Nothing is impossible but for me, just being here is a victory and I hope that I will have a chance to enjoy and the crowd too.”

Few can predict how long Nadal will remain in the sport, although a final Aussie summer ahead of a swan song at the French Open, or even the Paris Olympics on the famous red clay of Roland Garros would seem the perfect farewell to one of the sport’s all-time greats.

Rafael Nadal with junior tennis players at the Queen Street Mall. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

“I cannot have super long-term goals because I don’t see myself playing for a super long time,” he said.

“But I have immediate goals. I don’t know how the thing’s going to keep going but in my mind I’m going to try to give myself the opportunity to be more and more competitive as the season keeps going.

“I am not a player that tries to predict what can happen in the short-term and it’s even tougher in the medium term.”

A year-long battle with hip and back issues had many fearing the winner of 22 grand slam singles titles many never hit the court again.

Nadal has made it back but will have to accept things may not be as before.

“It’s all about basically accepting that things are not going to be perfect at the beginning,” he said.

“But with the right tactics and the right working spirit every day I feel that I will have a chance to come back in a position that I want to be before the (Australian Open) tournament.”

The Brisbane International starts on Sunday, with the main draw to be completed on Saturday morning.

Originally published as Brisbane International: Rafael Nadal coy on retirement, reveals mindset for Australian summer