Rafael Nadal said he would plot a path back to the Tour once he has a firm prognosis for the troubling hip problem that cut short his Australian Open, while conceding that the growing weight of injuries was taking a heavy toll.

Though Nadal has won only two matches since the US Open in September, the 36-year-old found positives out of his trip to Australia.

“I mean, hopefully it’s nothing too bad. In the end (it has) been three positive weeks in terms of practice,” he told reporters. “So I really hope that (injury) doesn’t put me out of the court for a long time, because then it’s tough to make all the recovery again.

“In the end, I can’t complain about my life at all,” said the 22-time grand slam winner. “So just in terms of sports and in terms of injuries and tough moments, I mean, that’s another one.

“Just can’t say that I am not destroyed mentally at this time, because I will be lying.”

He left no one in doubt he still had the fuel for another comeback.

“It’s a very simple thing: I like what I do. I like playing tennis,” he said.