Nadal seeks positivity ahead of United Cup
Rafael Nadal is aiming to "recover positive feelings" ahead of launching his 2023 season at the inaugural United Cup.
The Spaniard became the most successful male player in grand slam history last season as he took his title tally to 22 after landing the Australian Open and French Open.
Only Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz (both five) won more events on the ATP Tour than Nadal (four) in 2022, but his campaign ended with early exits at the Paris Masters and the ATP Finals.
The 36-year-old will return to action this week at the United Cup, where he lines up alongside the likes of Paula Badosa and Pablo Carreno Busta for Spain, before defending his Australian Open crown.
"The beginning of the season is always exciting," Nadal, who plays Great Britain's Cam Norrie on Saturday, said.
"Even if I don't know how many seasons I have on the tour, the start of each year is always different.
"I have the highest motivation to try to start well. It's always important to start well for me, for the confidence.
"The past few months haven't been easy for me. I just try to have the right practice here before the tournament starts. Then of course, try to help the team.
"[The main thing for me now is to recover the positive feelings on court, being competitive. I hope to.
"I am ready to make that happen, but let's see. Only thing that I am focused now is to try to put myself in a competitive level."
