Rafael Nadal's "ultimate goal" next season is to win another Grand Slam title, according to the King of Clay's long-time coach and uncle Toni.
Toni spoke about Rafa's main goal in 2017, when the 14-time Grand Slam winner returns from injury. During a press conference for Toni getting appointed as tournament director for the WTA Mallorca, the 55-year-old revealed his nephews' predictable yet bold plan for next year.
"We have not been playing for much time and it affected us much. Now a new season starts and we have to earn points straightaway. Rafael's ultimate goal is to win a Grand Slam title," Toni said, reports Tennis World.
It has been a while since Nadal won a Grand Slam event. The last time the 30-year-old Spaniard earned a major title was two years ago at Roland Garros, where Nadal defeated Novak Djokovic in the final round to win a record nine French Open titles.
Nadal was never close to adding another major title in his record this season, but he was poised to do so at the French Open before a left wrist injury forced him to quit mid-event. Since the unfortunate setback, Nadal has struggled to play at a high level in singles competitions, forcing him to cut short his season to fully recover from a recurring left wrist injury.
"I am forced to stop and start preparing the 2017 season," Nadal wrote on his Facebook page, reports ATP's official website. "Now it is time to rest and start preparing intensively the 2017 season."
Nadal will start his quest for his15th major title at the Mubadala Championship in Abu Dhabi, where the Mallorcan could face world No. 1 Andy Murray.
Winning the tournament would give Nadal momentum heading into the Australian tennis swing en route to the Australian Open, where he gets an opportunity to complete such feat. However, considering the success he had on the clay-courts of Paris, if Nadal would win another Grand Slam singles title, it would have to be at Roland Garros.
Video courtesy: YouTube/Golden Slam