Rafael Nadal looking forward to returning to his best at the Capitala World Tennis Championship

13 Dec, 2009

World number two ready for Abu Dhabi challenge and a second shot at the region’s showpiece tennis event

Abu Dhabi: Rafael Nadal has one thing on his mind when he kick-starts his 2010 campaign at the Capitala World Tennis Championships in Abu Dhabi later this month – that’s playing well.

The Spanish star, who enjoyed a 46 week reign at number one, says he is looking forward to putting an injury-plagued year behind him and focusing on his climb back to playing his best tennis.

“At the moment I just want to focus on playing well, winning matches and staying injury free during 2010."

“It all starts in Abu Dhabi and I can’t wait to return to the event and compete against what is another strong line-up of the world’s best players."

“The event is a great way to start the year and is the perfect warm up for the Australian Open. The fans and warm hospitality in Abu Dhabi make it a really enjoyable tournament to begin the season and I am very much looking forward to coming back."

Despite missing more than two months with knee problems, Nadal still enjoyed plenty of success on the court, including his sixth career Grand Slam crown at the Australian Open.

The Mallorca native won another five titles for the fifth straight year which saw him ranked number one for the first half of 2009.

Nadal completed the year on a high after Spain sealed back-to-back Davis Cup wins following victory over the Czech Republic to become the first nation to successfully defend the Davis Cup since Sweden in 1998.

"We are all very good friends and that counts for a lot," Nadal said after the victory.

"And we always make ourselves available because we love representing Spain."

Nadal will shape up against a star studded line-up at the Capitala World Tennis Championship, including world number one Roger Federer, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Nikolay Davydenko, Robin Söderling and Stanislas Wawrinka.

Tickets for the event, which takes place from 31 December, 2009 – 2 January, 2010 at the Abu Dhabi International Tennis Complex at Zayed Sports City, are selling fast and can be purchased through www.boxofficeme.com or through selected Spinney’s outlets.

Prices start from just AED 65 and provide a multitude of other activities to enjoy beyond the tennis action, including the ‘Tennis Village’ which offers first-class catering outlets and family areas.