Spain's Rafael Nadal, who resumed training on Monday after being sidelines with tendinitis in both his knees for nearly two months, says the rest of the season would be "difficult" for him.
"Even if I return at 100 per cent, you have to be realistic, the rest of the season is going to be difficult because after stopping for one month, almost two, you lose the rhythm of the competition," the 23-year-old told Spanish media in Majorca.
"I have still one advantage over (Roger) Federer in that I am only 23 years old," added Nadal, who lost his French Open and Wimbledon titles, as well as his world No 1 spot, in a summer of injury misery.
Switzerland's Federer, 27, won both the French Open and Wimbledon and regained the No 1 ranking held by Nadal during the Spaniard's absence.
Nadal has not played since being upset by Robin Soderling in the fourth round at the French Open in May. It was his first defeat at Roland Garros where he had been the four-time champion.
The injury forced him to pull out of Wimbledon two days before it started.
Nadal intends to return to return to competitive play at the Montreal Masters, where he is the defending champion, which gets underway on Aug 8.
I for one am glad he took the time off. His style is too physical and his matches are too long and his swing whips around his head so much I am surprised he hasn't screwed up his shoulder joint also. He has been playing for over a decade without rest. Burnout can happen in any job, marriage, etc. The guy had pushed himself to HIS physical limit and he just needed a break. Major life events can distract and mentall drain us and his parents' divorce weighed in also on his poor performance I would think. At any rate, hopefully he can achieve great things, regain his #1, enjoy his success and learn from the games he loses. I love to watch the guy play. Rock on RAFA!
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