Nadal ‘working hard’ for a stronger 2016; Toni to hire a superstar mentor if Rafa fails to make a comeback
Undeterred Rafael Nadal promised to leave the disappointing 2015 season behind. With all the anxiety setbacks he has endured, Nadal said he will work harder even than before to come back stronger next year.
Nadal has had an amazing career filled with remarkable achievements, but after an injury-ravaged 2014 season, the 14-time grand slam champion went through a considerable decline in his form, including a terrible campaign at this year’s grand slam events. Speaking ahead of his first-round match in Beijing, Nadal told the reporters that he was all set to claw his way back into contention, China Open reports.
The 29-year-old said that he was working hard to get back to the top of his game. He added that he is trying his best to do better with the remaining tournaments of the season. As the tour winds through Asia, Nadal will take advantage of the tournaments to prepare for a better 2016 season.
“The season is not over, but the tournaments that I’m going to play till the end of the season, I’m going to try my best in every single match,” Nadal said. “I’m going to try to do the things that I believe I need to start stronger next year.”
Nadal previously admitted that he was battling anxiety and lacking confidence, but he vowed to impede those emotions so as not to hamper his performance next season. He revealed that he was working on getting the power back to his unruly forehand and hit more winners. Nadal asserted that he will be able to rebound to reclaim his place in men’s tennis.
“I believe that sooner or later I will be playing at a very high level again,” he said.
Meanwhile, Nadal’s coach and uncle, Toni Nadal, said that he was open to adding another expert in their coaching team if the 14-time grand slam champion fails to bring back his greatness next season, AFP reports. Toni said that Nadal should follow the footsteps of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, who both hired tennis legends as their coaches. Djokovic is being coached by Boris Becker, while Federer is coached by Stefan Edberg.
“It’s true that this year he’s going a little down, but I’m sure the comeback of Rafael is coming soon,” Toni said in an interview in Beijing. “Maybe next year Rafael is playing not too good, then I think he can think about some changes in his game or in his team.”
The Spanish tennis star arrived in Beijing after losing to Djokovic in an exhibition match in Thailand. He is set to face World No. 224 Wu Di in Beijing opener today. The match marks Nadal’s first official game since losing to Fabio Fognini in the third round of the 2015 U.S. Open.
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