Rafael Nadal (Photo : Getty Images)
Rafael Nadal will use the Miami Open as testing grounds for his playing form prior to the clay-court season, according to his uncle and coach Toni.
Rafa added yet another loss to his winless campaign this season after falling prey to Novak Djokovic in the semifinal round of Indian Wells last week. But despite the recent setback, Toni is convinced Rafael is playing "good" tennis heading into the Miami Open, where the 14-time Grand Slam winner's form will be assessed prior to the start of the clay-court tournaments.
"Rafael's level was very good in the last matches in Indian Wells," Toni told Cadena Ser as translated by Tennis World USA. "Now we have to confirm in Miami the good feelings to face the clay-court season with good expectations."
The start of outdoor clay tournaments begin in April at the Fayez Sarofim & Co US Men's Clay Court Championship in Houston, but Rafa's campaign will start at the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters, according to his 2016 tournament schedule. The end of the clay-court events will be at Roland Garros, where Rafa won nine of his 14 major titles, hence the moniker "King of Clay."
Meanwhile, Rafa approaches the Miami Open full of optimism in spite of not winning a title at the tournament in as many as 12 attempts. The world no. 5 has come up short to winning the Miami Open title multiple times, most recently in 2013, when he was defeated by five-time champion Djokovic.
"I think I played well in my career here, no?" Nadal said, reports Sports Fan. "It's a positive tournament for me. Only negative thing is I finally never win it. But the feeling, the atmosphere here is great. I enjoy being here. The fans here are amazing with me."
The fifth seed Rafa is on a mission to claim his first ATP World Tour-level title of the year that has been eluding him since the start of the season. The 29-year-old Mallorcan will have a shot at doing so at the Miami Open in Key Biscayne, where he opens against Bosnian Damir Dzumhur, who defeated Argentine Leonardo Mayer 4-6 6-3 6-4.
