Rafael Nadal admits he is unsure what to expect as he prepares for the start of the French Open.

After previously being plagued by injuries, the King of Clay has enjoyed a return to some of his previous form this year and wins in Monte-Carlo and Barcelona have suggested his fitness issues may well be behind him.

However, he could not repeat those results in either Madrid or Rome but next week returns to arguably his favourite venue, Roland Garros.

Nadal won the French Open nine times between 2005 and 2014 and has been given a boost ahead of the event, with Roger Federer’s withdrawal meaning he will now be seeded fourth.

This means he will avoid a potential quarter-final against either Novak Djokovic or Andy Murray and will be confident of making it through to the last four.

The 29-year-old has spent the last week working on his game in a bid to perfect his tactics ahead of the second Grand Slam of the year.

Despite his solid form in recent weeks, the former world number one admits he is unsure what to expect from his return to the Parisian clay.

“I’ve been feeling pretty good for a few weeks now,” Nadal told Eurosport, via Tennis World USA.

“Since the beginning of this year I’ve had a good feeling to my play. I then lost a few difficult matches, but my feelings on the court are good and obviously you need to win to feel confident.

“Each week is a different story and you have to be ready to accept everything that happens.”