Rafael Nadal to return to court at Brisbane International in 2024

Rafael Nadal will make his much-awaited return to the tennis court at the Brisbane International ATP 250 event in January next year. He will be making a comeback after suffering a season-ending injury earlier in the year. In a social media post, Nadal said, “Hello everyone, 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.” Nadal has not played a competitive match since bowing out in the second round of this year’s Australian Open where he was hampered by a hip flexor problem.

🎧👀💪🏻😉 pic.twitter.com/iH7NvsQGMT

— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) December 1, 2023

“I think I don’t deserve to end like this,” said Nadal, referring to his Melbourne exit last year. The Spaniard has previously expressed desire to play one more French Open, a tournament he’s won 14 times, and represent the country at the Paris Olympics next year before retiring at the end of his 23rd season on the tour. It was reported that Nadal would use Kuwait as his base for Australian Open preparations. The 37-year-old has a Rafael Nadal Academy in the country which would help in ensuring adequate finishing touches before flying Down Under. Nadal has undergone surgery twice and having slumped to 663rd in the world after a year without playing declared in September that the 2024 season was going to be his last. He has been overtaken in the number of Grand Slam tournaments won by Novak Djokovic, who now has 24 major titles. Nadal, meanwhile, is on 22 majors. The Spaniard had already experienced a 2021 season undermined by a foot injury, and was eliminated by Djokovic in the semi-final of the French Open.