Rafael Nadal to Make Highly Anticipated Tennis Comeback at Brisbane International

Rafael Nadal is gearing up for his much-anticipated return to the tennis scene in early January.

The 37-year-old Nadal revealed his comeback plans on X (formerly Twitter) by confirming his entry into the Brisbane International in Australia next month, marking his first competitive appearance in nearly a year.

“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 in his announcement.

At the Australian Open last January, Nadal sustained a hip flexor injury during a second-round defeat. Initially, it was anticipated that the 22-time Grand Slam champion would be out for 6-8 weeks, but the hip injury did not heal as expected. This led to his withdrawal from the French Open in May, a tournament he has won 14 times. Nadal then underwent arthroscopic surgery in June and expressed his hope to make a comeback in 2024, which he intends to be his final season.

“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,” Nadal had previously stated.

Nadal started 2023 as the No. 2 player in the ATP singles rankings and is currently ranked No. 663 in the world.