Rafael Nadal left red-faced after disastrous attempt at forehand challenge before Aus Open | Tennis | Sport

For Nadal, the veteran is hoping to retain the Australian Open having surprisingly won the Slam this time last year. The 36-year-old struggled with injuries in the second half of 2022, with foot and abdomen issues limiting his time on the court. 

“Well, it’s true that the last couple of months I was not able to play much tennis and at the beginning of the season I lost two matches in Sydney, but honestly, I am not unhappy with the preparation,” he told journalists in Melbourne. 

“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. Then you need to demonstrate that in the matches, in the official tournaments. But I’m confident that if I am able to have this last week of positive practices, why not?”