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Rafael Nadal Australian Open 2021
Tennis News

Nadal predicts ‘good things’ for 2017


Nadal reached his first Grand Slam final since the 2014 French Open in Melbourne, where he lostĀ 6-4 3-6 6-1 3-6 6-3 to his longtime rival.

But despite missing out on a 15th major title, Nadal is content with his progress and hopes to use his month in Australia as a springboard to further success this season.

ā€œI feel happy,ā€ said Nadal, who climbed to world No.6 following his run to the final in Melbourne. ā€œI played a great quality of tennis during the whole month that I have been playing. That’s great news for me. The only goal for me is keep going. I believe that if I have my body in the right conditions, I can have a great year because I feel that I am playing well.

ā€œI cannot predict what’s going on in the future. I believe that playing like this, good things can happen. Can happen here in this surface, but especially can happen on clay. I think I can keep having success in hard courts, but on clay [it could]Ā be special.ā€

Nadal won two ATP titles in 2016 ā€“ both on the clay, in Barcelona and Monte Carlo. He has not won a hard-court title in over three years, but he is happy to be back enjoying the sport after a difficult 2016 season struggling with a wrist injury.

ā€œOf course, winning an event like this is so important,ā€ he said. ā€œBut the real thing is what makes me more happy, more than the titles, is go on the court and feel that I can enjoy the sport. Today I am enjoying the sport.

ā€œAt this moment in my career, more than titles, for sure if I am playing here, I believe that I going to win titles. More than all these kind of things is being healthy enough to work the way I need to work, to fight for the things I want to fight. I’m going to keep trying to do and to work the same way.

ā€œI cannot say that I am sad. I wanted to win, yes, but I am not very sad. I did all the things that I could. I worked a lot during all these months. I keep working, and I competed well. I enjoyed the competition. I won against the best players in the world, and I competed well against everybody. That’s the most important thing for me, and that gives me confidence to keep playing, and that’s what I am going to try.ā€


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Tim Farthing, Tennishead Editorial Director & Owner, has been a huge tennis fan his whole life. He's a tennis journalist and entrepreneur as well as playing tennis to a national standard. He also helps manage his local club and volunteers for his local tennis organisation. He's a specialist in content about the administration of professional tennis and tennis coaching for all levels.