Rafael Nadal: "I don't know if I'm going to reach that level again but I don't have any doubt that I'm going to die for it"
Rafael Nadal crashed to a second successive defeat at the 2022 ATP Finals on Tuesday, losing 3-6, 4-6 to Felix Auger-Aliassime. With this defeat, he is all but out of the tournament having lost his opening match against Taylor Fritz in straight sets as well.
While speaking to the media after his defeat, the Mallorcan was asked if he felt he had any positives to take from the tournament. Nadal stated that qualifying for the ATP Finals has been a positive in itself given the tumultuous time he has had on tour in the last six months.
"It's the main thing, no? Yeah, have been six tough months in all ways. Just accept that. When you are facing all the circumstances that I faced the last six months, be here is positive. That's the main thing," he said.
"Experience what's going on today - 'today' I mean the last couple of weeks on the court - is not a big surprise. That not mean that I am not sad about the results. It's something that can happen, no?" he added.
The former World No. 1 not only faced setbacks to his health during this period but also underwent the agony of a difficult childbirth with his wife Maria Francisca Perello.
"Have been, yeah, super difficult months that I went through. Just accept that tomorrow start my 2023 season. That's all. The only thing that I can do is keep working, keep doing the things that I need to do to give myself a chance to start with real chances in 2023. That's the thing," Nadal stated.
The 22-time Major champion believes playing the Paris Masters and the ATP Finals back-to-back without further physical issues creeping up was a positive in itself.
"You asked me positive things. Yes, couple of positive things. I was able to play two tournaments in the last three weeks. That's the positive thing, something that I was not able to do it for a while," Nadal asserted.
He reckons that he needs to "recover" a lot of his confidence, tenacity, and mental strength to be the unbeatable player he was at the start of the season.
"I mean, I don't think I forget how to play tennis, how to be strong enough mentally. I just need to recover all these positive feelings and all this confidence and all this strong mentality that I need to be at the level that I want to be," he said, adding, "And I don't know if I'm going to reach that level again. But what I don't have any doubt, that I'm going to die for it."
"What can happen in Australia? I don't know" - Rafael Nadal
During the press conference, Rafael Nadal was asked if he would enter next year's Australian Open with optimism or doubt, given his recent poor form. The Spaniard pointed out that it is difficult for him to predict his performances Down Under given that there is still a lot of time left for the tournament.
"What can happen in Australia? I don't know. Remain a month and a half. What can I do to give myself a positive chances to have a good season next year?" Nadal stated.
The World No. 2 stated that he needs to embrace humility and work hard for the next few weeks to be ready for the competition.
"As always, be humble enough to accept that I have a challenge in front, that the last six months have been very difficult for me, and I need to work more and I need to recover things that I lost because I was not able to practice the proper way, I was not able to compete the proper way, What I have to do now is come back, work hard, stay positive every single day, accept the challenge, accept that I going to need to suffer a little bit more," Nadal explained.