Stan Wawrinka is aiming to compete at the Australian Open in January even if he is still short of full fitness.
MORE: Nadal joins Kyrgios for Sydney's Fast4 tournament |
The Swiss ended his 2017 season prematurely in August due to a knee injury, rendering him unable to defend his US Open crown and preventing him from competing in the ATP World Tour Finals.
A three-time grand slam singles champion, Wawrinka's first major success came at Melbourne Park in 2014.
And the 32-year-old is determined to feature at the tournament in January as he continues his rehabilitation.
"I had problems with this knee since the Basel tournament in 2016," he told L'Equipe.
"My only regret is not having stopped my grass [court] season earlier, which has only aggravated the situation.
"Today, I'm working with my physio six days out of seven. The goal is to play the Australian Open, even if I'm not 100 per cent."
— Stanislas Wawrinka (@stanwawrinka) November 7, 2017
Wawrinka's bold Australian Open declaration coincides with his withdrawal from the year-ending Mubadala World Tennis Championship (MWTC) through injury.
"Unfortunately I won't be able to play in Abu Dhabi this year as I'm not ready yet to compete at this level," he said.
"Together with my team, I'm working hard and we will do everything to be ready in time for the Australian Open.
"I'm sad that I won't be able to play in front of the great fans at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship but I need to be patient and give my body the time it needs."
Wawrinka split with coach Magnus Norman in October and the timing of the Swede's departure was a cause of significant frustration for the former world number three.
"It was a big disappointment, a shock," he said.
"In the most difficult moments of a career, one should be able to count on the closest ones."