"I think I've been a privileged player, I've been working a lot since I was a kid but I had some natural talent"- Rafael Nadal

In a recent interview with the Australian Open's YouTube channel, Rafael Nadal talked about how his fitness regime has evolved over the years and also reminisced about his days as a prodigious teenager taking the tour by storm.

While speaking about the importance of fitness in his tennis career, Nadal pointed out that ultimately it was his talent that played a major part in his triumphs. He explained that although he has been working hard on his game since he was a child, his "natural talent" did help him in his early successes.

"I mean people talk a lot about mentality, about physicality, but if you don't have the power on your hand and the talent on your hands the rest of the things can't help you," the 20-time Major champion said. "The important thing is tennis at the end of the day. I think I have been a privileged player on that. I have been working a lot since I was a kid but it's true that I had some natural talent."

The Spaniard proceeded to look back upon his early career, particularly 2005, when he was brimming with youthful energy. He won his maiden Grand Slam title at Roland Garros that year and went on to lift 16 titles before turning 20.

The 35-year-old highlighted that the grind of the tour often drained his energy, which forced him to improve other aspects of his game to stay competitive.

"I used to be very strong when I was 18," he said. "In 2005 I was young with a lot of energy, a lot of passion. I was running for every ball. During the year you lose some of this energy and then you need to improve the other things to keep being competitive."

"I just try to be focused and ready for the next point" - Rafael Nadal on dealing with intense matches

The Spaniard won his 89th career title at the 2022 Melbourne Summer Set last week

During the interview, Rafael Nadal was asked to shed light on the importance of self-talk during intense matches. The Spaniard said he strives to stay hydrated and prepare his body for each point. He revealed that his focus revolves around the next point, and subsequently the next game and set.

"When you are playing just think about keep playing and just try to do things the proper way in terms of hydration, trying to to do the right routines, to hold and to keep the body ready for the next point. That's it. I just try to be focused and ready for the next point, the next game and the next set," the World No. 6 said.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion will take on USA's Marcos Giron in the first round of the 2022 Australian Open, which gets underway on January 17.