Nadal won the Australian and French Open trophies this year to increase his Grand Slam haul to a men's record 22 but he required pain-numbing injections on his foot during his run to the Roland Garros title and then had to withdraw from his Wimbledon semi-final with an abdominal injury.

After winning four titles in the first six months of 2022, it was a case of more pain than gain for Nadal since he hoisted the Musketeers' Cup for a record 14th time in June.

"My main goal now is to regain positive feelings on the court and to be competitive, and I hope to do that. I'm ready to do it, but we'll see," Nadal told a news conference on Wednesday.

"Right now I'm just focused on having a competitive level.. on playing at the highest level possible and being competitive and fighting for everything."

The Spaniard also said he was glad that his main rival, 21-time major winner Novak Djokovic (35), has been allowed to return to Australia.

Djokovic, a nine-time champion at Melbourne Park, missed the season's opening slam this year after being deported in January for failing to meet the country's COVID-19 vaccination requirements for visitors.

"Djokovic being here is good for tennis and for the fans. It's always a victory to see the best on court," added Nadal.

Nadal returns to action on New Year's Eve at the United Cup - a match against Cameron Norrie which you can follow with Flashscore.