Rafael Nadal: ‘I’ve suffered this year, but I’m not worried’

While Nadal’s overall focus is now shifting to next season, when he can hope to win a second Australian Open title – the only grand slam event he has won only once – he is currently focusing on the current run of tournaments in Asia. “Now I feel much better”.

Nadal also hailed Andy Murray as one of the “most talented” players he has encountered during his playing career but admits the Scott could have won a few more tournaments.

He added: “He’s fair, he’s honest and he’s a very good guy. I believe yes. I don’t know if I’m going to do it, but I can do it”, Nadal was quoted as saying by SkySports on Sunday. Every time I was playing, every time I was practising, something pushed me here, nerves, anxious, probably the injury of last year.

Former world No 1 Rafa Nadal says he does not feel the need to get a “super coach” to get back to his very best following the worst year of his trophy-laden career. “I get used to not finding excuses outside of myself, so I know when things are not going well it’s myself, it’s not the people who are around me”. I suffered this year for those months.

Nadal returns to action next week in Beijing where rival Novak Djokovic is the top seed.

He will end the year without a major title, but Nadal insists that he is now approaching full fitness and feeling better in terms of banishing anxiety levels during games. “I have to change one very important thing – be the player I was one year ago”, he admitted, before he put forth his sanguinity of another shot at the majors “soon”. Close to being 100 per cent fit and I am enjoying it again. “I’m enjoying being on the tennis court, enjoying, practicing and enjoying the competition because I don’t have that anxiety anymore”, the 29-year-old said.

Sky Sports’ Jacquie Beltrao was speaking to Nadal at his new Rafa Nadal Academy, which is set to open in July 2016.