“The time has come to return,” Rafa Nadal announced on his social networks on December 1. This moment is already here. The tennis player from Manacor landed in Australia this Thursday and trained on the courts of the Queensland Tennis Center in Brisbane to prepare for his return to competition. The 22-time Grand Slam winner will participate in an official tournament, the ATP 250 in Brisbane, for the first time in eleven months.
The one from Manacor will compete in the contest in question, which will be held from December 31 to January 7, thanks to a wild-card (invitation). Inactivity due to injury has led the Mallorcan player to currently occupy number 672 in the world ranking. Rafa was injured last January in the second round of the Australian Open against Mackenzie McDonald and in June he underwent surgery for those ailments in his left iliac psoas, which led him to face a long recovery period.
Nadal has been testing his body since October, progressively increasing the intensity in his training, until reaching the current point. The Balearic tennis player acknowledged at the beginning of the month on social networks that he “doesn’t aspire to anything, just to be competitive.” However, some of his rivals do not think the same, as they already consider him one of his opponents to beat for next season.
“To be honest, I always expect him to play at his best level. They have finished him off many times and they have done it to me too,” said Novak Djokovic before being defeated this Wednesday by Alcaraz in an exhibition match in Riyadh (4-6 , 6-4 and 6-4). “He wants to win titles, he wants to be the best, that’s why he is who he is: a legend of our sport. I am sure that his training and his preparation are done with the intention of winning a Grand Slam,” added the Serbian. .
However, both Nadal and Carlos Moyá, the Balearic athlete’s coach, are cautious about his return to competition. Moyá acknowledged a few weeks ago in an interview for the ATP website that he has experienced “the most complicated moment with him” (Rafa), as a result of the injury his pupil suffered almost a year ago.
The coach was concerned about how the veteran Spanish player will physically endure at the highest level, although he recognizes that his “progression is being correct.” All in all, Rafa Nadal is confident that “things are going well” and he can “have the opportunity to enjoy on the court” with his return to the Brisbane tournament, in Australia.
On the other hand, Nadal has the challenge of playing Roland Garros on the horizon. “You have to see how he arrives, the games he has played, his level, his competitiveness. There are many unknowns that time will clear up, but it is clear that he is very excited,” said Moyá about the possibility that the 14-time winner of the ‘Musketeers Cup’ will be in Paris next June.
The last participation confirmed to date by Rafa Nadal in an official commitment is that of the Conde de Godó Trophy, a competition that will take place between April 13 and 21, 2024. Rafa has not played the Barcelona ATP 500 since 2021 , when he was proclaimed champion after beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final 6-4, 6-7 and 7-5.