Rafa Nadal: I do not see myself playing tennis for a long time

Rafael Nadal met with hundreds of fans at the Queen Street Mall, as they all wanted to share a few minutes with their idol. The Mallorcan tennis player signed autographs in the center of the city of Brisbane and answered several questions about his return to the courts after almost a year away from competition.

A return that, after receiving one of the invitations of the tournament for the doubles draw, will come this December 31 along with Marc Lopez, his coach and former partner on the same side of the court as when they won gold at the Rio Games.

“I feel good, much better than I expected a month ago. I can’t complain,” commented Nadal who is aware of the difficulties he is going to encounter.

“It’s going to be a tough process at the beginning. In the end, I haven’t been on a tennis court for a year. I’ve been practicing for the last month at a good intensity. I’m not saying that there is nothing impossible, but just being here is a victory.”

When will Nadal retire?

“I need to face this process accepting adversity, knowing that things will not be perfect at the beginning. I have to keep the right attitude and work spirit every day,” Nadal said.

Nadal again commented that he does not see his sporting career getting much longer: “I am not a player who tries to predict what kind of things can happen in the short term, and it is even more complicated to do so in the medium term. I don’t set very long-term goals either, because I don’t see myself playing for a long time. I want to try to give myself a chance to be more competitive as the season progresses.”