Rafael Nadal: 'I understand that the conversation is always...'

• Tennis News
• Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal has been called 'The King of Clay' after winning multiple titles on the red surface. But he has had some dangerous opponents to finish him off in many matches and tournaments. He can be embarrassing at times when he is defeated, but it is part of being an iconic professional tennis player.

"There are no easy rivals... each of them brings maximum pressure," explained Nadal. This could be the first rule of thumb for players who might take some opponents too lightly. He was put to the test when he recently played Andrey Rublev at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters in April.

Three times it was the charm for the Russian who managed to crown his first victory for the Spanish. Nadal was devastated saying: "Today was one of those days when my serve was a disaster." The Manacor southpaw would advise him that if he could maintain his precise and rigorous serve, he has a good chance of achieving success.

Another important factor in beating your opponent is always having confidence in your style of play. Believing in yourself is the best thing that comes closest to achieving victory. It works well to make you feel as less intimidated as possible.

"When you serve without confidence, you are concentrating on trying to serve, without thinking about how you want to (hit) the ball," the Spaniard believes with all his heart. There is most of the after-serve game that needs to be addressed, so trust is key.

Another point that Rafa finds consistent with doing well on the court is who wins the first set.

Nadal is on the entry list for the 2022 AO

Rafael Nadal has revealed the goal of his comeback is to "fight again for everything" if he is able to compete without physical limitations.

The Spaniard is set to return to action at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship exhibition in Abu Dhabi, where he will face either Andy Murray or Dan Evans on Friday. Speaking on this subject, Rafa stated, “It’s going to be super difficult for me.

If things are going well, I’m only going to play one tournament before Australia and these two matches here so the number of hours on court at the competitive level before such a tough and demanding tournament like Australia will be not much but the main thing is still always the same – be healthy”.

The 20-time champion stated, “I am outside of the competition for the last five, six months. I understand that the conversation is always there, especially with Novak that who has been playing every week almost. Roger and I have been injured for such a long period of time. Of course, we are equal but the chances for Novak are much higher than for us”.