Rafael Nadal will be seeking his 68th ATP title at the Argentina Open this week as he bids to cast away doubts following his shock Australian Open exit.
The 9-time French Open champion suffered a five-sets defeat to Fernando Verdasco in the first round of the Australian Open. It was the first time that the 29-year-old has loss in the first round at a Grand Slam since the 2013 Wimbledon Championships. Reflecting on his unexpected early exit from Melbourne, the Spaniard has pledged to continue working hard on the tour.
“I’m preparing myself for a good season. I didn’t like my defeat in Australia, but there’s nothing I can do about that now. I can only look towards the future and continue working hard.” Nadal said during a press conference in Buenos Aires on Monday.
Besides his disappointment in Australia, the world No.5 has made a solid start to 2016 by winning the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi followed by reaching the final of the Doha Open. In the Doha final he suffered a crushing straight sets loss to world No.1 Novak Djokovic.
The future plan for Nadal involves back-to-back South American clay-court tournaments before preparing for the first Masters tournament of the year in Indian Wells. Looking ahead to his upcoming tournaments, a motivated Nadal is hoping to produce a good performance.
“Each year is different, but I have maximum expectations for Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Indian Wells and Miami. I get motivation by concentrating on what I’m doing on a day-to-day basis”. The 29-year-old said.
Unlike last year when the 29-year-old endured issues with his self-belief. Nadal appears more confident when speaking with the media. The nine-time French Open champion has confidently said that he believes this year will be a god one for him.
“ I am convinced that this will be a very good year”. The world No.5 said.
Nadal is the defending champion at this week’s Argentina Open after defeating Juan Monaco in last year’s final. A repeat of the 2015 final could occur in the second round of the tournament if Monaco defeats Italian qualifier Marco Cecchinato in his opening match. Monaco hasn’t played on the tour since August after undergoing surgery on his wrist.
If Nadal is triumphant in Buenos Aires this week, he will claim his 48th title on clay, placing him one title behind the ATP all-time record of 49. The record is currently held by legendary Argentine player Guillermo Vilas.
