Spain’s Rafael Nadal admits he still has a way to go before he reaches his peak following a foot injury that has recently sidelined him from the Tour.
The 35-year-old returned to competitive tennis last week at the Citi Open in Washington for the first time since June. The Spaniard pulled out of Wimbledon and the Olympics due to his foot which at one stage prevented him from playing tennis for 20 days. In Washington, he won his opening match against Jack Sock before losing to Lloyd Harris in the following round.
“Last week in Washington, the first round was tough with my foot, but in the second round, I felt a little bit better. Even if I lost, that is a positive thing for me,” Nadal told reporters on Sunday. “It is about trying to find the routine again on court. Trying to be competitive again. I need to have the feeling of playing a few days in a row without any problems.”
Nadal’s next test is the National Bank Open in Toronto. He is a five-time champion of the tournament which used to be known as the Rogers Cup. Speaking to reporters on the eve of the main draw starting, the world No.4 says his focus is on improving his game further. Admitting that he continues to experience pain in his foot but to a lesser extent compared to recent weeks.
“I am going day by day,” he explains. “The main thing is to try and feel I am improving and feel I am playing better and better, which is the goal at this tournament.
“I need to have a couple of weeks with less pain to have the confidence again with my movement. I am coming here to try and win, but also to keep feeling positive with my foot. I am not at my peak yet, but I have been practising better than I played in Washington, so I am excited to play here. Hopefully, I will be able to compete well.”
The king of clay potential has a shot of revenge in his opening match where he could play Harris for the second week in a row. Although the South African needs to win his first round match against Brayden Schnur for that clash to occur. Should the draw go according to the rankings, Nadal could play Grigor Dimitrov in the third round followed by a meeting with either Roberto Bautista Agut or Diego Schwartzman.
“I am happy to be here,” Nadal added. “It is a place where I have had a lot of success in the past and many good memories.”
Nadal is the second seed in the draw behind Daniil Medvedev.
