Rafael Nadal could be ready to join Roger Federer on the sidelines to recuperate from setbacks before starting his bid for next season.
Nadal has expressed uncertainty over his short-term future following his disappointing loss at the Shanghai Masters this week, affecting the Mallorcan's calendar schedule for the last part of the season. The King of Clay admitted his season is "almost over" and could very well skip the remainder of it to get ready for next year.
"For me the season is almost over, and I accept that. I cannot say now what I gonna do during the next month. I'm not sure nor about my calendar and nor about the things that I need to do to try to be at 100% ready for the next year," Nadal said, reports Tennis World USA.
"Sometimes the solution is to practice and stop and have a process of training. And maybe that's an opportunity to do it. I need to speak with my team. I need to speak with my uncle, too."
Nadal had a rough start to the season following what could be considered a regretful 2015 for the 14-time Grand Slam winner. His quest to find his old form and play at a high level almost came to fruition during the European clay circuit, where Nadal won back-to-back titles in Barcelona and Monte Carlo.
The 30-year-old Spaniard was poised for a strong run at the French Open before getting derailed once again, this time because of a left wrist injury, which may have contributed to his subpar performances in the following events.
''Maybe few days, maybe few months, or maybe further,'' Nadal said when asked how close or how far away he is from his best tennis. ''I don't know. You cannot predict what's going (to happen) in the future.''
Nadal is currently sitting at the seventh spot in the Emirates ATP Race to London rankings, but are only a few points behind other aspirants who hopes to qualify for the Tour finale.
It is unclear whether Nadal would still consider playing out the remaining tournaments in his calendar schedule after his stunning defeat at the Shanghai Masters, but if he wishes to qualify for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London, he should yield good results at the Swiss Indoors in Basel and BNP Paribas Open in Paris.
"I am trying to finish well and trying to be ready again for next season. That's my real goal. ATP Finals? This is not an obsession," He said.
Video courtesy: YouTube/TENNIS