Rafa Vows To Be Ready For 2012

© Getty ImagesRafael Nadal bids farewell to the 17,500 fans who watched him bow out of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals on Thursday.

World No. 2 Rafael Nadal bowed out of the season finale in the group stages for only the second time in five appearances on Thursday and admitted afterwards that, by his own lofty standards, it had been a disappointing end to the season.

The Spaniard has been trophy-less since winning a record-equalling sixth Roland Garros crown in June, and suffered major disappointment at the hands of Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon and US Open finals.

"This end of the year wasn't easy for me," said Nadal after falling to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in a Group B decider at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. "That's hard to accept. But at the same time that's given me a little bit more illusion and little bit more of a goal for the beginning of 2012. This year was a tough year for me. I think it was a positive one for moments, but at the same time it was hard for moments.  [I have to] accept what happened during all the season and I need time to think."

Buy Tickets | Watch Live Online

Watch Nadal Interview

The 25-year-old Nadal will now return to Spain to contest the Davis Cup final against Argentina in Seville, before the hard work begins in earnest as he looks to right some wrongs in 2012. As he bids to wrest the No. 1 South African Airways ATP Ranking from Djokovic’s grip and make his mark in the early part of the season, the Mallorcan sees only one way forward: work, work, and more hard work.

"I know only one way to change the situation, [and that] is to work more, think more about tennis, do everything in the right shape, do everything good inside the court, and everything good outside the court," said Nadal. "And that's what I am going to try to do for the next month and for the next 12 months of 2012. That's what I can say. That's what I can do.

"[Work towards] the Australian Open and have the right practice, continue with the right practice like I had the past three weeks. That's the only way to try to arrive to the 2012 season with the right conditions. That's my dream, try to arrive in 2012 with very good conditions, and I am going to practise and I am going to do everything in my hands to be perfect for the beginning of 2012.

"I am going to have my chance next year to be competitive to win the big tournaments," continued the left-hander, whose tally of three tour-level titles this year was his lowest count since 2004. "My illusion is there. My motivation is I hope the same. I will do it. If [it is] not enough, it is not going to be enough. But I will be satisfied with myself."