Rafael Nadal said he had shaken off his foot problem from the China Open final – and added that he was also recovering from the “mental injury” he blames for his struggles on court this year.

Nadal, who plays Ivo Karlovic in Shanghai on Wednesday, said the foot injury which gave him a “scary moment” during Sunday’s 6-2, 6-2 loss to Novak Djokovic had disappeared by Monday morning. And he also said he was finally getting to grips with the loss of confidence which unnerved him this year.

“Sometimes I recover from injuries. This time what I had, with my not having the control of my nerves or my emotion, is like coming back from an injury, too,” he said.

“It’s not a physical injury, but it’s a mental injury. And this for me is another challenge.”

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Despite the lopsided scoreline in Sunday’s final, the world No7 enjoyed a positive tournament in Beijing as he reached his first hardcourt title match of the year. And the 29-year-old maintained he was heading in the right direction.

“I am working hard. I’ve never had such a long period of time without playing at the level that I wanted,” Nadal added.

“I lost the matches that I should win, close matches, third-set matches. So sometimes it’s like a restart.

"But I really believe if I continue with the same quality of practices, the same health, I really hope and believe that I can start the next year with energy and I believe another level.”