Rafael Nadal stresses that he's still aiming to be at the top of the sport this coming season. However, with so many young players emerging along with proven veterans, the Spaniard believes it's hard to predict what will be the outcome of his campaign next year.
Nadal, who earlier this week announced his decision to skip this year's IPTL exhibitions, updated reported about his ongoing preparation for a brand new season. After another dismaying campaign last season, Nadal has expressed his desire to regain the world no.1 ranking next season.
The 14-time Grand Slam winner is slated to play veteran Tomas Berdych in an exhibition match in Abu Dhabi on December 29. Nadal will then kick off his 2017 campaign by entering the Brisbane International championship before plunging into action at the Australian Open championship.
'I'm practicing much, I am in the middle of the pre-season and at the moment everything is going well. I am willing to work and so far I manage to do it," Nadal said on his participation at these tournaments. Will he be there? 'Definitely there isn't anything sure in the life, but that's the plan. Unless anything unexpected happens, I will play Abu Dhabi, Brisbane and Australian Open.'
After that, Nadal is supposed to join Spain in their Davis Cup campaign, but hasn't fully assured everybody that he will be there when Spain takes on Croatia in the first round of the team competition.
'You never know how things can go. I have to see how I feel and how I am doing after this month and a half of preparation, then we will decide. In tennis you decide which tournaments play depending by how things go'.
As far as the competition is concerned, Nadal is confident in his ability to contend for the big prizes next year. Then again, he's also aware that winning tournaments will be more brutal than before because of the arrival of young players who are expected to go toe-to-toe with the elites like Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.
