Rafael Nadal, who has been sidelined since Wimbledon due to a knee injury, tells the *Daily Mail* that the ATP tour has too many hard-court events, and that he might add more clay-court tournaments to his schedule, such as those in Latin America in February.
"I can’t pretend not to play on hard courts when two of the Slams are on hard courts, but there is a mistake "with our game," Nadal said. “You don’t watch footballers playing on a hard surface, or basketball players, those sports with rapid movements. It’s not going to change for me and my generation. Hard courts are very negative for the body. I know the sport is a business and creating these courts is easier than clay or grass, but I am 100 percent sure it is wrong. I may have to play more on clay than before, but there aren’t that many options."
Nadal appears doubtful for both the ATP World Tour Finals and the Davis Cup final, where Spain will travel to the Czech Republic. Both events which will be held in November. However, Nadal is hopeful that he will begin to compete again at the start of 2013.
''I hope you see me in Australia,” he said. That is the biggest goal for me, to come back just before then in Qatar but I cannot say for sure it is going to happen.'' The only thing is to recover well. I want to be 100 percent when I come back. I don’t want to keep playing every day with doubts, not knowing if my knee is going to answer all the questions."
Nadal also told <em>Reuters</em> that he was happy to see his friend Andy Murray win the U.S. Open.
"What has changed is his mentality," Nadal said. "His game has not changed practically at all but winning the Olympic Games helped him a lot with the victory in New York. Andy is a player with an impressive talent and I always said he would win a Slam, not just one he'll win more than one."