Rafael Nadal said that he is set to return to competitive tennis in the first week of January.
With his first tournament being the Brisbane International, which will be held from December 31 to January 7.
The 37-year-old hasn’t played any form of tennis since crashing out of the Australian Open 2023 following his defeat to Mackenzie McDonald in the second round.
After a year, Nadal, who is currently ranked No.663 on the ATP circuit, is set to be back on the tennis court. Nadal uploaded a video on his social media handle to announce his return.
“Hello everyone, after a year away from the competition, it’s time to come back. It will be in Brisbane in the first week of January. I’ll see you there,” Nadal was quoted as saying.
“I don’t think I deserve to end like this. I believe I have worked hard all my sports life. So, that my end isn’t here at a press conference. I am going to finish my career in the right way,” Nadal added.
Earlier this year, in May, Nadal held a press conference at his academy to announce that he would not be taking part in the French Open 2023.
In June, the winner of 22 Grand Slam singles title dropped out of the top 100 of the rankings for the first time in 20 years after dropping 2000 ATP points due to his withdrawal from Roland Garros, a title he has won a record 14 times.
Nadal sustained a hip injury in the Australian Open 2023 that has kept him out of the game for a significant amount of time.
Although he did not talk about his participation in the Australian Open 2024, Nadal can be expected to take part in the tournament with the event in Brisbane being a platform for preparation.