Rafael Nadal insists that he shouldn’t be favored in Australian Open

MELBOURNE, Australia – Asked to predict who will win this year’s Australian Open, Rafael Nadal takes a deep breath, shrugs his shoulders and insists it won’t be him.

The 14-time Grand Slam winner is back on tennis’ big stage after injuries and ailments sidelined him for several months. But rebuilding his confidence remains a work in progress.

“I don’t consider myself one of the favorites here,” the No. 3-ranked Spanish star said Saturday at a pre-tournament news conference. “I would be lying if I say I feel that I am ready to win.”

Nadal remains a fixture in the elite group of men’s stars known, along with No. 1 Novak Djokovic, No. 2 Roger Federer and No. 6 Andy Murray. He favors any of those three to win the Australian Open, which starts Monday.

“In terms of being favorites, the other names are more favorite than me at this time,” he said during the news conference, slumped in his chair and repeatedly casting his eyes downward as he spoke.

An injury to his right wrist followed by appendix surgery kept Nadal out of competition for most of the last six months of 2014, a year that also had its share of triumphs. Nadal won a record ninth French Open and three other titles in the first half of the year. Despite his subsequent absence, he finished 2014 in the top three for the ninth time in a decade.

Nadal’s season opener at the Qatar Open earlier this month, where he lost in the first round to a qualifier, didn’t help his morale. He the first to admit he’s not back at 100 percent.

Del Potro drops out

Juan Martin del Potro, winner of the 2009 U.S. Open, has withdrawn from the Australian Open on the eve of the tournament because of concerns that an injured wrist was not fully recovered.