Rafa Nadal will head into the Australian Open undercooked and with only one win to his name since September's U.S. Open, but it would surprise nobody if he retained the title he won for the second time last year.
The ravages of two decades on tour mean Nadal has rarely been able to prepare for majors like other players, forcing him to rely on skills and mental fortitude, which have earned him 22 Grand Slam titles, kicking in once the action starts.
While hardly ideal, fitness counts a lot more than form at this stage of his career and the 36-year-old Spaniard is possibly in a better position than he was at the start of last season, when he thought a foot problem might end his career. "I need to win matches for sure, but the preparation is going quite well, practising a lot and I think I am in good shape."But I'm confident that if I am able to have this last week of positive practices, why not?"
That should give him the opportunity to play his way into the tournament in the first week in preparation for tougher opposition in the later rounds.
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