Nadal vows to end on a high

Nadal: Turbulent season

The O2 will be tough because indoors is the most difficult surface for me. But I will try my best in London

Rafael Nadal
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World number two Rafael Nadal is focusing on the future following a season disrupted by personal problems and injury woes.

The Spanish champion, who is one of the elite eight to feature in the ATP World Tour finals at the O2 Arena in London this month, made a superb start to the year by claiming his sixth Grand Slam title at the Australian Open.

However, a recurring knee problem later in the season forced the 23-year-old to take a lengthy injury break while personal issues affected him on and off the court.

Nadal, who will lead Spain against the Czech Republic in the Davis Cup final next month, is determined to put his turbulent year behind him and end the season on a high note.

"Right now, I feel motivated to finish the year well - and to win the Davis Cup for Spain (against the Czech Republic) next month," Nadal told The Guardian.

"The O2 will be tough because indoors is the most difficult surface for me. But I will try my best in London."

Low point

The Spaniard's five-set triumph in the Australian Open final in February over world number one Roger Federer saw the Swiss champion reduced to tears.

But Nadal insists he did not have the mental edge over his rival and that all players experience low points through the course of the season.

"For everybody there are tough moments," he said.

"Unluckily for me, this year mine came when I arrived at the most important tournaments in the worst possible condition.

"You always have some ups and downs and, in that moment, Roger was a little down. But he was down in the final. It was not like he was losing in the second round. And the rest of the year he has had a lot of good moments."

In an abrupt turn of fortunes, Federer has soared this year while Nadal has struggled, but the Spaniard insists that their relationship remains strong and that he has utmost reverence for his rival.

"He always did a very good job for our sport and he is a nice person," said Nadal, who has defeated Federer in 13 of their 20 matches and five out of seven Grand Slams.

"I have spent the most important moments of my career playing against Roger - and the same is for him, too, playing against me. So we have a big respect and, off the court, we have a very good relationship."

Nadal was shaping up for what looked to be a triumphant season until he was struck by severe tendinitis and crashed to a shock defeat in the fourth round of the French Open to eventual runner-up Robin Soderling.

The Spaniard, who believes his defeat at Roland Garros might also have been a consequence of the collapse of his parents' marriage, was consequently forced to withdraw from Wimbledon and spend 10 weeks at home recovering.

Personal problems

"It was a hard moment for me," said Nadal.

"I can't play Wimbledon and it's my favourite tournament. I also lost at Roland Garros and I have a few personal problems. So everything coming together made it hard.

"Soderling played really well and he beat me. But I wasn't ready, mentally or physically, this year.

"My parents' divorce made an important change in my life. It affected me. After that, when I can't play Wimbledon, it was tough. For one month I was outside the world."

Nadal is now looking to compensate for the most difficult year of his career with success in the season-ending events and has shrugged off forecasts that a gruelling ATP schedule combined with the intense physicality of his tennis could see the Spaniard retiring from the game in only a few years time.

"People forget I started (professionally) at 16. And this is my fifth straight year in the top two," said Nadal.

"I'm not thinking about stopping yet, but most players start at 20 and if they finish at 29 nobody will say they've had a short career.

"If I finish at 25 I'm going to have had the same career as them. People will say it's a short career, but I don't agree.

"I always work with a goal - and the goal is to improve as a player and a person. That, finally, is the most important thing of all."