Rafael Nadal plans to prepare for Australian Open 2023 with battle against Nick Kyrgios at United Cup

Rafael Nadal recently claimed that facing Nick Kyrgios in the upcoming United Cup will help serve him well in his preparations for the 2023 Australian Open.

The Spaniard has only featured in four competitive matches on tour since his fourth-round defeat at the 2022 US Open. He ended up losing three of those matches (to Tommy Paul, Taylor Fritz, and Felix Auger-Aliassime). This has led fans to worry about his form ahead of the 2023 Australian Open.

The 22-time Major champion was recently asked about his preparation plans for next season. He revealed that he will soon travel to Australia to compete in the United Cup - a team event held by the ATP and the WTA.

Nadal's Spain have been drawn in the same group as Great Britain and Australia. The defending Australian Open champion will play his first match against Cameron Norrie.

"It is likely that I will travel on December 26 because on the 31st I made my debut in the United Cup - a newly minted mixed team tournament - facing Cameron Norrie. Sharing a team with my colleagues makes me excited and it will surely be a fun experience," Nadal stated in an interview for Marca.

Nadal will face the dangerous Nick Kyrgios in his second singles match when Spain take on Australia. He believes facing the Aussie will help bolster his preparations for the year's opening Slam. That said, the Mallorcan stated that Spain have been handed a tough draw at the United Cup.

"I am going to play at least two games before the Australian Open - on January 2 I will face Nick Kyrgios - which will come in handy and hopefully we can advance further but it is clear that the draw - Spain shares a group with Great Britain and the local Australia - is complicated," he explained.

"You have to be realistic and admit that I'm going to get there, but I'm going to try to win or at least get to the level I need to be competitive in Melbourne," the Spaniard added.

The 2023 Australian Open will kick off on January 16, exactly a week after the United Cup comes to an end. However, the Spaniard confirmed that like usual, he will not feature in any tournament in the week ahead of the Slam.

"I don't like to play the week before a Grand Slam. I haven't done it for 15 or 16 years and I'm not going to do it now," he said.

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"He is a serious and hard-working person" - Rafael Nadal on new coaching team member Gustavo Marcaccio

Rafael Nadal during a recent exhibition match against Alejandro Tabilo

Rafael Nadal recently replaced coach Francisco Roig with Gustavo Marcaccio, who previously plied his trade as a trainer in the Mallorcan's academy. During his interview, the former World No. 1 revealed how he has known Marcaccio for a long time. The latter used to coach his good friend Juan Monaco.

"He has been at the Academy for a year but I have known him for a long time because he worked with Juan Mónaco, one of my best friends on the circuit, and I always had very good references from him," explain the Spaniard.

The 36-year-old heaped praise on the Argentine. He highlighted how he needed to find a coach who could travel with him anywhere. This is because his other coaches Carlos Moya and Marc Lopez are parents and cannot always travel.

"He is a serious and hard-working person and once Francis decides to leave he needed to incorporate someone, among other things because both Carlos (Moyá) and Marc (López) are parents too and they can't accompany me everywhere. In addition, someone new always stimulates all the components of the team," the Mallorcan further stated.

Roig was part of Nadal's team from 2005 before being replaced this year.