Rafael Nadal - ATP update 2016 (Photo : Getty Images)
Rafael Nadal is not going anywhere anytime soon after the King of Clay reassured he plans to play tennis until his mind and body would not allow him to.
Nadal, who has been ever-optimistic in his bid to regain his old form, is not looking at walking away from playing tennis in the near future, insisting that he still feels better amid the struggles to reclaim his elite form that earned him 14 major titles in his record.
"Until when will I play? I will turn 30 and I do not give up," Nadal told Spanish media outlet AS as translated by Tennis World USA.
"My mind is ready for this, I feel very prepared to compete and I made a great effort to recover these conditions. Obviously I know the time will come when what I do will not make me happy, I will not have enthusiasm and my body will not allow me to continue. At the moment, I enjoy training sessions and competition."
Nadal has had many achievements in his 15 years playing as a tennis pro, including his success in competing on clay-court tournaments, where he won nine French Open titles and 48 of his 68 titles overall. His most recent victory came at the Monte Carlo Masters' red clay-surface, defeating the likes of Stan Wawrinka and Andy Murray before dispatching Gael Monfils in the final round for the tournament trophy.
Nadal's triumph in Monaco was probably more than just another winning record, with the 29-year-old riding a losing slump that lasted for nine months. But despite such setback, Nadal was able to stay positive in getting back to his old self, insisting in almost every interview how he keeps on working to once again become relevant to the tennis scene.
Nadal is battling to record his second title of the season at the Barcelona Open, where he also bids to claim an unprecedented ninth title at the ATP 500 event. If Nadal could win the tournament, any suggestions of hanging up his racquet would become an afterthought.
There were times fans think they have seen the last of Nadal's best, especially during the Mallorcan's struggle to play at a high level in the past season. But after winning the Monte Carlo Masters last week, that notion may have been put to rest, at least for the meantime.
