Rafael Nadal has admitted that he is unsure whether he will be fit for the first Grand Slam of next year.

The 26-year-old has been tipped to return to the court next month but the current world number four has suggested that he may not be ready for the Australian Open, which is scheduled for next January.

"I hope you see me in Australia," the Daily Mail quotes Nadal as saying. "That is the biggest goal for me, to come back just before then in Qatar, but I cannot say for sure it is going to happen."

Nadal has not played a competitive match since Wimbledon, where he was knocked out in the second round.