Nadal gearing up for Aust Open

Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal, the world No 3, says his goal is to “get the feeling” back at the start of the 2015 season, but he acknowledges he might not be “100 per cent” in terms of his physical and tennis capabilities.

Nadal is playing in the January 1-3 Mubadala World Tennis Championship, an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi that will also feature Serbian world No 1 Novak Djokovic, Britain’s Andy Murray and Spaniards Nicolas Almagro and Feliciano Lopez.

The 28-year-old Nadal will then defend his title in Doha before heading off to the Australian Open, the year’s first grand slam event, where he said he hoped to “arrive in good shape.”

“From the Australian Open, going through the South American swing and heading into Roland Garros is the hardest part of the season for me, and that’s where I need to be at 100 per cent,” Nadal said on Wednesday.

“Playing against high-calibre tennis players” will help in “regaining the feel” for the game following wrist and back problems, and appendicitis last season, Nadal said.

Nadal underwent an appendectomy on November 3 in Barcelona.

The 14-time Grand Slam champion was diagnosed with appendicitis prior to the start of the Shanghai Masters, where he lost to countryman Feliciano Lopez in his opening match.

Nadal was upset on October 24 in the quarterfinals of the Swiss Indoors by Croatian teenager Borna Coric and said after the match that he would undergo an appendectomy and not play in any more tournaments in the 2014 season.

The Spaniard pulled out of the Paris Masters and the elite, eight-man Barclays ATP World Tour Finals played November 9-16 in London.

The world No 3 plans to compete in the Copa Claro tournament in Buenos Aires scheduled for February 21-March 1.

Nadal missed the tournament in Buenos Aires this year due to a back injury and will be playing in the Argentine capital for only the second time.

The Spaniard missed the entire North American hard-court season, including the US Open, because of a wrist injury.

Nadal resumed practicing in the first week of December in his hometown of Manacor on the Balearic Island of Mallorca.

“Injuries have been part of my career, so I have to start off cautiously and the first two weeks of the season will help me to regain the physical and tennis feel, and the rhythm” needed on court, Nadal said.

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