Rafael Nadal hopeful for an impactful comeback in 2012
After a dejecting finish at the season grand finale, the Barclays ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) World Tour Finals, world number two, Rafael Nadal vowed to make a forceful comeback in the 2012 ATP season. The Spaniard was dumped in the group stages of the mega event for the second time in his five appearances on Thursday, losing to his arch rival Roger Federer and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in round robin matches.
Nadal admitted after his dismissal from the event that it was a “disappointing end to the season” as compared to his high standards. The 2011 ATP season had been a relatively quiet one for the second ranked Spaniard, who won just three ATP championship titles in the year with 67-15 winning record.
“This end of the year wasn't easy for me,” said Nadal after falling to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in a Group B clash. “That’s hard to accept. But at the same time that's given me a little bit more illusion and little bit more of a goal for the beginning of 2012. This year was a tough year for me. I think it was a positive one for moments, but at the same time it was hard for moments. [I have to] accept what happened during all the season and I need time to think.”
Nadal won his last ATP title at Roland Garros, winning the prestigious Grand Slam trophy for a record-levelling sixth time in his career. His dominance over the game of tennis had been brutally tarnished by the belligerent Serbian, Novak Djokovic, who toppled him to claim the world number one spot earlier this year.
The Spaniard suffered defeats at the hands of Djokovic in the finals of six events this year, which include championship losses at Wimbledon and the US Open as well. The Serbian outclassed Nadal in four other ATP Masters 1000 events to extend his title count to 10 in the current season and pulled down Nadal to the second spot in the ATP World Rankings.
The 25-year-old Spaniard will now take a trip to his home to lead Team Spain against the Argentine squad in the final of the Davis Cup later this month. Nadal cited he will work hard to turn his wrongs into rights in the coming season and will surge to reclaim the world number one spot from Djokovic in the early parts of 2012 season. He believes that the only thing which can make him achieve his goals in the next season is “work, world and more hard work”.
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