Rafael Nadal has played down a major injury setback ahead of the Australian Open.
The Spaniard received medical attention during his Brisbane International defeat against Jordan Thompson.
Nadal has just returned after 12 months out following surgery. Fans are desperate to see him compete at the Australian Open.
The 37-year-old hopes that he just has a ‘supercharged’ muscle that is tired after several days of strenuous activity. He said the pain was different to his previous injuries, which have been predominantly tendon-related.
“It’s a very similar place to what happened last year, but different stuff, no? I feel more muscle,” Nadal said.
“Last year was tendon. I feel the muscle tired. I mean, for sure it’s not the same like last year at all because when it happened last year, I felt something drastic immediately. Today I didn’t feel anything. The only problem is because the place is the same, you are a little bit more scared than usual.
In ideal world, it’s just the muscle supercharged after a few days of effort and a very tough match. That will be the ideal thing, something that we know that can happen today. That is why I’m talking all the time that my goal is to try to be competitive in a few months.
I mean, from this perspective, you don’t know all the information that I have. From that perspective, the only thing that probably you see is I have been playing very well the last two matches. It’s true, I have been playing well.
A lot of things can be happening in a body like my body after a year without playing tennis. So hopefully is just that, just a muscle that is supercharged. It’s a normal process on that. If that’s the thing, everything’s perfect.
As I said, I didn’t come here to win tournaments now, no? I just came here to try to come back and do it in a positive way. It was a very positive way. Then let’s see.
“I really hope if the feeling on that leg is better and better tomorrow and after tomorrow, then it’s perfect news. If not, as I said, we’re going to do a test & let’s see.”
