Copyright © 2015. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.

As he returns to ATP tennis for the first time since the US Open, Rafael Nadal cannot help but express some doubts about his career as he heads into the closing laps of what for him has been a modest 2015 campaign.

The former No. 1 and king of clay now stands seventh, with his least favorite indoor hardcourt portion of the season beginning next week in Beijing.

From there, the 29-year-old plays Shanghai, Basel – hometown of Roger Federer – the Paris Bercy Masters and – hopefully – the ATP year-end finals in London in late November.

But nothing is assured for the Spaniard, whose game and confidence have slipped dramatically over the past 12 or more months. He went out in the second round at Wimbledon, the third at the US Open, as well as the Roland Garros quarter-finals where he lost to Novak Djokovic.

Nadal confessed to Sky Sports from his home island of Mallorca: “Especially during the first six months I was feeling very tired – every time I was playing and practicing. I suffered this year – especially for those months. The last couple of months I’m enjoying again and I’m not worried about my tennis level.”

Nadal, who has said he will not shake up his team and is sticking with his uncle Toni as coach, added: “I have to change, yes. I have to change one very important thing – be the player I was one year ago. That’s the most important change.

“I get used to not finding excuses outside of myself – so I know when things are not going well it’s myself, not the people around [me].”

Nadal said that adding to his total of 14 grand slam event titles would come down to how well he could return to form “if I’m able to relax, to control my emotions again”.

“If that happens – and I believe that’s going to happen soon because I feel much better – I’m going to find my level of tennis.”

Copyright © 2015. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.