World number three Rafael Nadal said that he has accepted the fact that he had to stop playing tennis as a necessary means to recuperate fully and will come back when the time comes.
“I have to listen (to the doctors) and be patient, and I will come back when my knee is well,” in an interview with media in his hometown of Mallorca, Spain.
“The best thing I can do now is to stop, get fully well, accept the situation and work hard to come back better,” he added.
Nadal has been plagued with left knee tendinitis which kept him from participating at the London 2012 Olympics, Rogers Cup, Cincinnati Masters and the upcoming US Open tournament. The Spaniard was ousted in the second round of the Wimbledon Championships in June.
The absence during the hardcourt season means that Nadal’s ranking will expectedly drop and talks have floated around that he might not be competing during the remaining months of the season and will just start afresh in the 2013 season. The ranking is the least of his concerns for now.
“At this stage in my career my ranking is of the least importance,” Nadal said.
“The most important thing is that I am sure I am fit to compete like I did during the first six months of this year, with a solid chance to win in each tournament I enter. After being almost eight years ranked either first or second, I think that being ranked second or fourth or sixth doesn’t really change anything,” he added.
Nadal was also forced to stop playing for a significant chunk of time in 2009, skipping the Wimbledon Championships due to knee problems but managed to turn things around and came back stronger. He did say that he might participate at the Davis Cup semifinal match against the United States next month but he will have to wait and see.
“If (my knee) is well in time for the Davis Cup and the captain wants me, I will be happy to be there,” he said.
“It would be exciting for me and a great moment to return. If not, then I will have to wait a little longer,” he concluded.
