Rafael Nadal, the 22-time Grand Slam champion, announced his comeback to competitive tennis at the Brisbane International in Australia in January.
In a video shared on social media, Nadal expressed his eagerness to return to the sport after a year of absence and confirmed his participation in the tournament in the first week of January, inviting fans to join him there.
The 37-year-old Spaniard has been sidelined from the tour since last January when he sustained a hip flexor injury during the Australian Open’s second round.
In May, just before the French Open, Nadal had to withdraw from the tournament he had previously won a record 14 times.
At that time, he was uncertain about his return date. Nadal had initially expressed his intention to compete in 2024, which he expected to be his final season. However, he underwent arthroscopic surgery in June in Barcelona to address his injury.
Since the end of 2022, the Spanish left-hander, now 37, has faced a challenging period, losing seven of his last nine matches, with a 1-3 record in the current season.
Nadal’s impressive tally of 22 Grand Slam singles titles places him second to Djokovic’s 24, making him one of the most successful male players in tennis history.
