RAFAEL Nadal insists he would be back in Spain fishing and playing golf if he did not believe he could win another grand slam.
Nadal begins his bid for a 15th major triumph at the Australian Open tomorrow and looking to re-establish himself among the elite after another year blighted by injury.
The 30-year-old was forced to withdraw from the French Open and Wimbledon last summer due to a problem in his left wrist, and results upon his return proved disappointing.
A fourth-round exit to Lucas Pouille at the US Open was later followed by a first-round loss to Viktor Troicki in Shanghai, prompting Nadal to end his season in October to regain full fitness.
Since then, there has been room for encouragement.
Nadal appointed fellow Spaniard and former world number one, Carlos Moya, to his coaching team in December and then played well in Brisbane earlier this month, before losing to Milos Raonic in three tight sets.
The challenge now is to carry his momentum to Melbourne.
“If I don’t see myself, and if I don’t believe that I can be competitive, and when I mean ‘competitive’, it is fighting for the things that I fight for during the last 10 years, I will be probably be playing golf or fishing at home,” Nadal said.
“I am being honest with this. If I am here it is because I believe.”
Despite dips in form, Nadal had previously resisted the temptation to follow Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic in appointing a ‘supercoach’, instead insisting his uncle Toni would always remain his right-hand man.
Toni will still continue as Nadal’s primary coach but Moya, who also lives in Mallorca, can bring a fresh perspective after splitting from Raonic in December.
“Carlos, more than anything, is a good friend of mine,” Nadal said.
“I talk with him often. It doesn’t matter if he stays in my team or not, no? I have a great relationship with him.
“In December, after knowing that he will stop with Milos, we talked with him, myself and my uncle.
“For me is a very good option, no? I know him very well. I know he wants the best for me. He knows my personality, he knows my game, too.”
Nadal plays Germany’s Florian Mayer in the first round tomorrow when much attention will be on the Spaniard’s physical condition and, in particular, his troublesome wrist.
Asked whether he is injured or pain-free, Nadal said: “I am not injured, no. But pain-free is a long time ago.”
The 2009 Australian Open champion believes he is ready to go the distance again.
“You cannot say I am ready for it or I am not ready for it. Let’s see,” Nadal added.
“I feel myself ready for the competition, yes. Then if that happens during the next couple of days and I am able to compete well from the beginning, you never know what can happen.
“I feel myself it can happen. That’s the real thing.”
Meanwhile, reigning women’s champion Angelique Kerber admits she is still adjusting to the pressure of being world number one.
Kerber snatched the top spot off Serena Williams by winning the US Open in September, seven months after claiming her first grand slam title in Melbourne.
Since reaching the summit, however, Kerber’s form has dipped.
She was beaten by Petra Kvitova, Elina Svitolina and Daria Gavrilova – accomplished opponents but all ranked outside the top 10 – during the Asian swing before losing to world number eight Dominika Cibulkova at the last hurdle of the WTA Finals.
Last week in Sydney, she lost her opening match to the talented Russian Daria Kasatkina.
It means Kerber arrives at the Australian Open with question marks hanging not only over her form but her ability to cope with the added weight of expectation.
“It feels good but there is a lot of pressure, as well,” Kerber said.
“I have much more things to do. The day’s schedule is a little bit tighter than 12 months ago but at the end I’m still trying to do my things like I was doing this before. It’s just a number before my name.
“I will try, of course, to stay as long as possible th
