Rafael Nadal comeback has been announced on social media handle on Friday that he will make his return in the first week of the 2024 season at the Brisbane International .
Rafael Nadal will return to professional tennis in January after a year-long layoff as he seeks a fitting end to his legendary career.
Two weeks ago the Spaniard confirmed that he would make his return. Now he knows where and when.
Rafael Nadal comeback announced on X
In a video on X (formerly Twitter), Nadal announced that he will be returning at the Brisbane International. “After a year away from competition, it’s time to come back. It will be in Brisbane, the first week of January. I’ll see you there,” he said.
The former World No. 1 played two tournaments this year — the United Cup and Australian Open — before missing the rest of the season due to an injury to the iliopsoas muscle in his left leg, for which he later underwent surgery.
Nadal, a 22-time grand slam champion, has not competed since the Australian Open in January, where he lost in the second round to Mackenzie Mcdonald after suffering a hip injury.
Nadal will compete in Brisbane for the second time. The lefty played the ATP 250 in 2017, when he advanced to the quarter-finals before losing to then-World No. 3 Milos Raonic in three sets.
The tournament has not yet announced Nadal’s participation, but organizers have revealed that Holgar Rune,Ben Shelton,Grigor Dimitrov and Andy Murray will also compete in the event.
Nadal’s hip injury became a significant concern after it failed to sufficiently heal following the initial prognosis of a six- to eight-week layoff. Nadal eventually announced his withdrawal from the French Open, where he is a 14-time champion, and he underwent arthroscopic surgery.
The injury was the latest in a seemingly endless list throughout Nadal’s career. Since the Covid hiatus, where the lockdown periods led to the recurrence of his chronic foot injury, Nadal has struggled to remain fit for any extended period of time.
With the mental and physical toll of his injuries also affecting his general happiness, Nadal announced in May that 2024 would likely be his last year on the tour. “My idea, my motivation is to try to say goodbye to all the tournaments that have been important for me in my career and just enjoy being competitive and being on court, which today is not possible,” he said.