Australian Open defeat to Roger Federer can't break Rafael Nadal's spirit

Spain's Rafael Nadal speaks with Rod Laver during the awards ceremony after his defeat against Switzerland's Roger Federer. Pic/PTI

Melbourne: Rafael Nadal said he would take inspiration from his titanic five-set Australian Open final defeat to Roger Federer on Sunday and hoped it meant a strong season ahead.

Like Federer, the Spanish warrior is coming back from an injury-hit season last year and was a surprise finalist here. The 14-time Grand Slam champion said his overriding emotion was not one of sadness, but motivation to keep working hard to recapture his best form. "Today I am enjoying the sport. Last year I only had the chance to enjoy the sport between Indian Wells and Madrid (March to May), because in Madrid I got injured in quarter-finals. That's the real feeling... more than titles, for sure I believe that I am going to win titles. More than all these kind of things is being healthy enough to work the way I need to work, to fight for the things I want to fight," he said.