Rafael Nadal has compared his body to an "old machine" that takes time to get going as the Spaniard aims to build some momentum ahead of Roland Garros when he competes in the Italian Open this week.
Nadal had been sidelined for more than a month after playing through Indian Wells in March with a rib injury, and made his return at the Madrid Open last week, where he lost to fellow Spaniard, and eventual champion, Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals.
The world No 4, a 10-time champion in Rome, gets his Italian Open title defence underway on Wednesday as he aims to build some much-needed momentum ahead of launching his campaign for a 14th French Open crown.
The 35-year-old Australian Open champion has endured a string of injuries during a career spanning more than two decades and he said he needed time to get his body up to speed.
"When you're six weeks without touching a racquet and having the chance to move your body ... my body is like an old machine. To put this machine on again it takes some time," Nadal told reporters.
"It's not the same when you're 19 than when you are almost 36, with all the issues I went through in my career. You need to build again the confidence, your movements, then you start feeling comfortable with your tennis.
"It's more about being confident with my movements, recover the speed, recover the way that I have to play on clay and let's see. I'm confident that I can play well. I need time, but maybe this week can be a positive week, maybe not. Who knows?"
Nadal's record 21 Grand Slam titles
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RAFAEL NADAL'S 21 GRAND SLAM TITLES: 1) Rafael Nadal wins his first Grand Slam at the 2005 French Open. Getty Images -
2) Rafael Nadal wins the 2006 French Open. Getty Images -
3) Rafael Nadal makes it three in a row at the 2007 French Open. Getty Images -
4) Rafael Nadal secures a fourth straight Roland Garros title at the 2008 French Open. Getty Images -
5) Rafael Nadal win his first major away from the French Open at the 2008 Wimbledon Championships. Getty Images -
6) Rafael Nadal won major title No 6 at the 2009 Australian Open, his first Grand Slam on hard courts. Getty Images -
7) Rafael Nadal wins his fifth Roland Garros title at the 2010 French Open. Getty Images -
8) Rafael Nadal becomes a two-time Wimbledon champion at the 2010 Championships. AFP -
9) Rafael Nadal completes the career Grand Slam by winning the 2010 US Open. AFP -
10) Rafael Nadal reaches 10 Grand Slam titles with his sixth Roland Garros triumph at the 2011 French Open. AFP -
11) Rafael Nadal wins the 2012 French Open, his seventh title in Paris. Getty Images -
12) Rafael Nadal wins a fourth straight Roland Garros for the second time in his career at the 2013 French Open. AFP -
13) Rafael Nadal wins his second US Open title at the 2013 tournament. Getty Images -
14) Rafael Nadal wins a fifth successive Roland Garros title at the 2014 French Open. AFP -
15) Rafael Nadal brings up his French Open La Decima at the 2017 tournament in Paris. AP Photo -
16) Rafael Nadal wins the 2017 US Open for his 16th Grand Slam title. Reuters -
17) Rafael Nadal wins his 11th Roland Garros title at the 2018 French Open. AFP -
18) Rafael Nadal wins his 12th Roland Garros title at the 2019 French Open. AFP -
19) Rafael Nadal claims his fourth US Open title at the 2019 tournament. Reuters -
20) Rafael Nadal pulls level with Roger Federer on a record 20 major titles with his 13th trophy in Paris after winning the 2020 French Open. AFP -
21) Rafael Nadal becomes the most successful male player in history with his 21st major title, won at the 2022 Australian Open. AAP -
22) Nadal makes it a record-extending 22 majors with victory in the 2022 French Open. EPA
Nadal, a winner of three titles this year including a record 21st major in Melbourne, lost to Novak Djokovic in the Roland Garros semi-finals last year, just the third time he was beaten at the claycourt Grand Slam since his debut in 2005.
The Spaniard said he was doing all he can to be fully ready for the tournament, which starts on May 22.
"That's my goal ... I didn't have another chance to approach this claycourt season with the things I went through," he said. "I'm going to give myself a chance and we'll see what's going on."
