World No1 Rafael Nadal insists he does not feel any less pressure heading into the Australian Open despite having no ranking points to defend after missing the event last season through injury.
Nadal arrives in Melbourne today looking to carry the momentum from a title-winning week in Doha.
And while the Spaniard admits his Qatar success came as a welcome boost ahead of the first Grand Slam of the season, he says world ranking points are the last thing on his mind.
He said: “The people are so focused on defending points and these kind of things, but for me the pressure of defending points is zero, because the only pressure is to try to keep playing well. I try to keep having chances to win.
“When I start the season I see it like everybody starts from zero, and for me the ranking is just the race – from January to the end of November. We start here and we will see how many points I can make in Australia.”
Of all the main contenders in Australia, Nadal is the last one to touch down in Melbourne, where the opening major of the season begins on Monday, January 13, and he will have his first practice session there tomorrow at 16:00.
Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray both have a headstart on Nadal in terms of acclimatising but the world No1 believes he has more than enough time to be ready.
“I feel that being in the same place for so long waiting for the tournament is something that few things are positive maybe and other things are negative,” he said.
“I’m going to have almost a week to practise there, and I think hopefully it will be enough to acclimate my game to Australia. If your game is not adapted in six days it’s because you will never be adapted. That’s my feeling.”
Nadal, a champion in Melbourne in 2009, would be the first player since Rod Laver to win each Grand Slam at least twice should he triumph this month.
For the first time in his career, the Mallorcan has commenced his season with a title win in the first week and he’s hoping it bodes well for his chances.
“At the end, the important thing is I was able to play five matches and win all five,” he explained. “That’s positive confidence. That doesn’t mean I’m going to play well in Australia, but it’s true that I prefer to arrive to Australia without the feeling of a loss.
“It’s tough because the Australian Open is very early, but in the end every year is the same. It’s nothing new for me and for us.”
