Australian Open top seed Rafael Nadal entered his third decade as a professional ranked No 1 in the world and the 33-year-old Spaniard says he is surprised to be at the summit of the men’s game given his long and varied history of injuries.
Enjoying a rare period of full fitness, Nadal is bidding for his second title in his 15th appearance at Melbourne Park, as well as the added carrot of matching Roger Federer’s all-time record of 20 Grand Slam titles.
In the 11 years since his 2009 triumph in Melbourne, Nadal has battled back from a litany of serious injuries, defying predictions that his taxing, all-action game might cut his career short.
“It’s true that I went through some tough situations during all my career. But I was able to always, with probably the positive attitude and with the right people around, to find a way to keep going.
“(It’s) something that is difficult to imagine for me because of my style of game, as a lot of people said, my career should be little bit shorter.
“But here we are. (I’m) happy for that. Even for me is a big surprise to be where I am at my age.”
