"The only thing I know is I'm working very hard to try to get the opportunities." Nadal was speaking after hitting balls with youngsters during a coaching session in the Indian capital where he plans to open an academy for talented players. Nadal sunk to world number 10 this year after losing at the French Open quarter-final stage, before suffering early exits from Wimbledon and the US Open.

But Nadal, who has been plagued with injuries and last year had surgery to remove his appendix, rallied in the latter part of this year to finish at world number five. "2015 has been not the best season," he said.

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"(But) In the last three months, I finished much better and I'm happy the way I'm playing now. I need to keep going the same way that I finished the 2015 season."

Nadal is in Delhi to play in the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) tour, which promotes a shortened, speeded-up version of the game that organisers say is more television-friendly than the traditional format. The IPTL, which began in Japan this month, was held in Manila earlier this week and will also have stops in Dubai and Singapore.