Rafael Nadal: 5 Reasons Rafa Must Win Australian Open 2012

Rafael Nadal is one of the best tennis players on the planet, yet there are several reasons why the 2012 Australian Open is a critical tournament for him in his career.

Over the course of the past year, the Spaniard has taken a backseat to Novak Djokovic and battled shoulder and foot injuries.

Can Nadal regain his pre-2011 swagger? Can he prove that he's still dangerous on the hard court? Can he top the Djoker? 

A championship in Melbourne would be an emphatic answer to these questions.

Here are five reasons that Rafael Nadal must win the 2012 Australian Open. 

Melbourne Title Is Key to Jumpstart 2012

2011 didn't turn out exactly the way Rafael Nadal had hoped.

He provided his customary clay prowess and won the French Open, but other than that, he didn't achieve any landmark victories.

He lost his No. 1 overall ranking to Novak Djokovic, who stole the spotlight from Federer and Nadal for most of 2011.

Rafa surely wants to win more tournaments this year than last year, especially the Grand Slam events.

There's no better way to ignite a triumphant 2012 than to win the Australian Open. It would be a great way for him to get back in a groove and set the tone for more tournament victories.

Needs to Top Djokovic at Oz to Regain No. 1 Ranking

Nadal knows that in order to reclaim the world No. 1 ranking, he needs to outperform Novak Djokovic throughout the early months of 2012, with Grand Slam wins being paramount.

If Rafa doesn't win the Australian Open, it will be nearly impossible for him to regain the top spot anytime soon.

It's going to take more than a Melbourne triumph to jump past the Djoker, but no pre-Paris tournament is more important than this one.

Only Has One Aussie Open Win

Although he has 10 Grand Slam tournament victories in his already-illustrious career, Nadal has just one Australian Open title and one U.S. Open title.

Rafa needs a few more Australian Open championships to bolster his resume, and considering how well Novak Djokovic has been playing, it's not going to be easy.

The Spaniard must take advantage of every opportunity to win in Melbourne and New York. This year is a great opportunity to test Djokovic's mettle, because this is the first time the Serbian has ever entered a calendar year as the top dog.

Unless Nadal grabs more Aussie hardware, his legacy will be incomplete.

Must Prove He Can Still Dominate on Hard Court

Central to the whole Australian and U.S. Open quest is the quest for Nadal to dominate on the hard court.

Granted, he's already won there, but we're in a new era of young talent.

Novak Djovokic, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Juan Martin del Potro are all hard-court threats, and Rafa must prove that he can stay above the fray and be highly successful.

A trophy presentation at Rod Laver Arena would be an excellent way for him to get his hard-court mojo back.

He needs to prove to himself and the world that he's one of the best all-surface players in the world.

Needs Grand Slam Wins During Prime to Catch Federer

At the end of his career, Nadal will be compared to Sampras, Federer and the rest of the tennis greats.

Depending on how much he achieves, he could be remembered as someone who surpassed Federer's legacy and rivaled him in his prime. On the other hand, he could be remembered as the era's runner-up to Fed.

The only way to make sure his legacy will be on the same level as Federer's is to win more majors. Rafa's not going to be young forever, so winning now is as important as ever.

The future is now, in Melbourne.