"It is difficult to even go down the stairs" - Rafael Nadal opens up on the extent of his injury troubles, reveals he continues to deal with pain

Rafael Nadal has stated that he isn't completely pain-free after surgery and he continues to suffer from time to time.

Nadal was last seen in action at the Australian Open, where he made a second-round exit following defeat to Mackenzie McDonald. A hip injury has sidelined him since, with the Spaniard even undergoing surgery and taking a long break from tennis to recuperate and rehabilitate.

In a recent interview, the former World No.1 has stated that he still has to deal with pain now and then. He disclosed that the pain sometimes makes life difficult for him and doesn't allow him to even go down the stairs with ease.

"[The pain isn't gone] but now it is controllable. There are times when the foot does not let me live in peace, it is difficult for me to even go down the stairs, and that happens sometimes," he told Moviestar+.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion further said that the pain ends up affecting his mental state.

"If it hurts it is difficult to be happy, my character changes when it hurts more than necessary," he expressed.

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"The hope is not to win Grand Slams, that is a little far away for me" - Rafael Nadal keeps realistic targets for his tennis comeback

Rafael Nadal is a 22-time Grand Slam champion.

While Rafael Nadal remains eager to return to competitive action, he isn't eyeing any Grand Slam titles, though he hasn't ruled it out completely.

"Yes, I would like to play again and be competitive again, but the dream is not to come back and win Roland Garros or win Australia, so that people don't get confused, right?" he said.

"I am very aware that at the time I am in my life, all that is very far away, right? And I don't say it's impossible because in the end I say things, I have said it a thousand times, all things in sport, they change very quickly," Nadal added.

The Spaniard, however, is keeping his current targets more realistic taking his age and physical conditions into account.

"The hope is not to win Grand Slams, that is a little far away for me due to age and physical problems. It is difficult to expect certain things but when come back, we'll see how I am," he stated.

Nadal had earlier hinted that he could take part in the Davis Cup Finals at the end of the year.

That idea, however, has since been discarded as Spain have been knocked out of the tournament after losing to the Czech Republic and Serbia in Valencia recently.