Rafael Nadal (Photo : Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
The 2017 Australian Open is less than a week away with the draw happening on Friday, January 13. The tournament officially begins on Monday, January 16 and here are the latest news about the 2017 Australian Open.
Rafael Nadal confident heading tournament
The Australian Open is not Nadal's favorite Grand Slam tournament since he has only won it once during his illustrious career. However, he is feeling confident with less than a week away before the tournament begins.
"I feel that Melbourne is an opportunity to play well again and to have positive feelings and then anything can happen if I start to feel good and competitive. I love playing in Melbourne. It's an unbelievable event," Nadal told Wide World of Sports in an interview.
Possible big 3rd round matchup
According to Forbes, there is a possibility that Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will face each other in the third round of the 2017 Australian Open. Federer is currently ranked 17th in the world while Nadal dropped to the No. 9 spot.
The report noted that there is a big chance that the draw on Friday will put them against each other by the third round. The last time the No. 9 and No. 17 faced each other in the third round happened in last year's French Open between Nick Kyrgios and Richard Gasquet.
Update on Nick Kyrgios injury
Australian star Nick Kyrgios is heading into the Melbourne-based tournament limping as he is suffering from a knee injury. Nevertheless, the 21-year-old star is preparing for the year's first major tournament. He is taking cortisone to help ease the pain on his knee, per The Guardian.
"I'm getting some sort of cortisone thing but it's not an injection. I'm doing everything I can for it," Krygios said.
"I've still got a couple of treatments with what I'm doing and I think I'm gaining improvement every day," he added.
Australian Open 2017 Schedule
The 2017 Australian Open starts on January 16 and ends on Sunday, January 29 at the famed Melbourne Park. World No. 1 Andy Murray is the favorite to win his first Australian Open championship after being runner-up five times.
Check out the video below to watch Federer prepare for the 2017 Australian Open at Melbourne Park.
