Rafael Nadal (Photo : REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha)
World's number three Rafael Nadal, who had an ankle injury, may get rid of the tennis menace and participate in the Miami Open 2015, starting Tuesday.
"In the beginning I thought it was going to be the end of the tournament. But I don't know now, I don't think so. I think I am going to be able to compete here," Nadal said.
Nadal will be playing against the winner of the match between Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky and fellow Spaniard Nicolas Almagro on Friday, according to Reuters.
Nadal is spirited enough that he will be fit and ready for the big event. He said he was not sure whether he was working really hard and whether he could provide his 100 percent.
"But I am confident I am going to be ready," he stressed.
Nadal was mostly out of the tennis-courts in the second half of 2014. He played the Wimbledon last year and then had to stay out due to the right wrist injury.
Nadal spent the Tuesday practicing. He had a consultation with his personal and ATP trainers who did not think the injury was severe.
Rafa was not advised to go through an MRI or X-Ray. But, "I feel pain," Nadal said.
He participated in Beijing and Shanghai before having an appendicitis problem ended his 2014 season. He had a appendicitis surgery in early November, in 2014, according to St. Louis Post Dispatch.
The tournament is one of the most respected ones in the tennis world and the 2015 version will see the top seeded players fight in full swing.
Miami Open has been named the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament of the year six times, and the WTA Premier tournament of the year for a couple of times.
Rafa has reached the finals in Miami four times. He could not emerge a winner though.
The Tennis honcho has 65 career titles in his bag, which is an impossible feat for many aspirants.
