Tennis-Nadal calls for fewer hardcourt events on calendar

By Julian Linden

MELBOURNE, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Rafa Nadal has marked his breakthrough victory at the Australian Open by calling for a reduction in the number of hardcourt tournaments to save top players from injuries and burnout.

Despite having just claimed his first grand slam title on a hardcourt, the world number one said there were too many tournaments played on the surface.

"Hardcourt surface is tougher than grass or clay for the body, and all the time we are playing more on this surface," the Spaniard told reporters on Monday.

"In my humble opinion, we have to change that a bit more."

More than half the season is played on hardcourt, including indoor carpet, while a month is played on grass and the rest on clay.

Nadal has made no secret of his preference for clay after winning the French Open four times and had previously been reluctant to criticise hardcourts because of his failure to win a grand slam title on them.

"I can say that (now) because I've won a grand slam on hardcourt," he said, referring to his stunning five-set victory over Roger Federer in Sunday's Australian Open final.

"Before, if I said that, a lot of people would think 'he (just) wants to change because he's a clay player'.

"But, believe me, I don't think anything about if I am a claycourt player or not. When I say this, I am thinking about the best for the players and for the future."

TOO TIRED

Despite enjoying his best-ever season in 2008, Nadal's success came at a cost.

The 22-year-old arrived at the U.S. Open already exhausted and a month later, he retired from the Paris Masters with knee problems which forced him to miss the Masters Cup and Davis Cup final.

"Last year was tough at the U.S. Open," he said.

"I arrived playing well, winning Olympics, winning Toronto, having semi-finals in Cincinnati, so I was playing a high level of tennis.

"But I felt during the tournament it was going to be almost impossible to win the title because I felt too tired. Mentally and physically, I wasn't there. The semi-finals especially, against (Andy) Murray, I really couldn't move."

Nadal said he was concerned about the physical toll on his body and worried it might come back to haunt him when he eventually retires from professional tennis.

"I would love to play football with my friends later when I finish," he said.

"And I would love to continue playing tennis and to do what I want ... but if we continue to play this (many tournaments), later maybe it's going to be tough to practise sports."

Nadal is the latest in a long line of top players to propose changes to the way the tennis calendar is arranged, with most suggestions centred around calls for the season to be shortened or the start delayed by a month. (Editing by Sonia Oxley)