Cape Town - According to his uncle and former coach Toni Nadal, Rafael Nadal is determined to continue playing despite his ongoing injury troubles.
The 17-time Grand Slam winner is experiencing another injury-disrupted campaign and has only played in three tournaments so far this year namely the Australian Open, the Mexican Open and the Indian Wells Masters.
However, he was forced to withdraw from his semi-final at Indian Wells due to injury and is expected to return to action later in April.
Nadal himself admitted that the injuries are taking its toll, but uncle Toni says the 31-year-old is hopeful of carrying on.
"I see it well. The most important thing is that they (Nadal and his coach Carlos Moya) appreciate and respect each other, something very necessary," he told El Pais.
"And Rafael wants to continue playing, despite his physical problems.
"That is what will continue to be decisive. Until when, who knows. Maybe two or three more years. What I'm saying is that Rafael is not a tennis player, he's an injured person who plays tennis, and that's very difficult."