KNEE injury victim Rafael Nadal has said he plans to return to tennis at the Australian Open in January, less than three months away.
The former world number one, who has not played in almost four months since losing a Wimbledon secondround match, told CNN International said that his recovery is going well, though slowly.
But he admitted that it was no longer possible for him to try to take back the number one ranking this season.
Instead he is focussing on being ready when the Australia Open begins on January 14.
“I was hoping to regain the number one spot in 2012.
Now, I’m happy to return at the Australian Open and be 100 per cent competitive,” said the fourth-ranked Spaniard. He is unable to train hard enough to be ready for Spain’s Davis Cup finals date on November 16-18 in Prague against the Czech Republic, he added.
“Everything is possible, but it is unlikely too,” he said. “I don’t know if I will or I won’t, I need to work with much less intensity than required for the Masters Cup (November ATP season-ending event) or the final of the Davis Cup.” Juan Del Potro is optimistic about his chances to qualify for the year-end World Tour Finals next month as the top seed prepared on Tuesday to begin his autumn indoor campaign at the Austrian Open.
The Argentine stands provisional seventh in a season points chase which has three more weeks to run before the start of the eight-man event on November 5 in London.
He begins at the Stadehalle against the winner from a pair of qualifiers, German Daniel Brands or Belgian Ruben Bemelmans.
Three London spots are open, but the likely injury absence of Rafael Nadal could mean that four more players have a chance to reach the field. Del Potro wants to be one of them.
“I’m very exited about trying to qualify, I need to do well here and at my next event (Basle) in order to have a chance though,” the Argentine said as he continued training at the tournament where he lost the final a year ago to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
“I have to play consistently this week, it would be great to win the title here for the first time. That would help my chances,” said the 24-yearold, who is competing for the first time in a month after dealing with a left wrist injury.
“I followed my rehab programme in Buenos Aires and did it well,” said the 2009 US Open winner who then missed most of the next season with a right wrist problem which required surgery. “I was working with both my doctor and my physio.
“Right now I’m feeling fit and healthy,” said Del Potro, winner of two trophies in 2012, including indoors in Marseille. “I’m hoping for my first title here on my third try.” Del Potro trails Czech Tomas Berdych, provisional sixth in the race to London and heading Tsonga plus Vienna second seed Janko Tipsarevic.
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