Rafa Nadal (Photo : Getty Images)
Rafael Nadal is ready to bounce back from his stunning defeat at the Australian Open, insisting that he is in "maximum motivation" ahead of his campaign at the Argentina Open in Buenos Aires.
Nadal was supposed to have a promising start in the 2016 season after reaching the final rounds of the China Open and Swiss Indoors last year, and battling Novak Djokovic for the Qatar Open title in January, but the 29-year-old was unable to carry some of his remarkable plays into the Australian Open, where he was defeated by Fernando Verdasco in the opening round of the tournament.
But the despite his recent struggles, Nadal is "convinced" about his chances of having a great season this year and continue working on his game.
"I can't do anything other than look forward and work with enthusiasm like I have been doing in the recent months," Nadal said, reports Tennis World USA.
"Rafa also added, 'I am motivated daily, and my motivation is maximum."
Nadal returns to action at the Argentina Open, where he will defend his title against the likes of David Ferrer, John Isner, and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who are all in the top 12 of the ATP world rankings.
The tournament in Buenos Aires would serve as a good opportunity for the 14-time Grand Slam winner to bounce back from his devastating loss last month, but Nadal faces an early difficult task in the round of 16 against Argentina's Juan Monaco, who defeated Italy's Marco Cecchinato in the opening round 6-1 6-3.
"Every season is different, but with the same purpose to fight in every tournament and finish as high as possible in the ranking. I'm happy to return to Argentina, because every time I left this country I did it with a lot of positive energy," Nadal said, reports the ATP's official website.
In last year's Argentina Open, Nadal defeated Monaco to claim his first ever title at the tournament. The Spaniard also leads Monaco in their FedEx ATP Head2Head by 6-1.
His only defeat from the Argentine was in 2007 at the ATP Masters Series Cincinnati, where Nadal retired hurt in the second set of their match.
