Nadal Set for Comeback in January Following a Year-Long Hiatus from the Game

Rafael Nadal, winner of 22 Grand Slam titles, has announced his return to competitive tennis at the Brisbane International in Australia, scheduled for January. Nadal revealed his comeback plans through a social media video, expressing his readiness to compete again after a year’s break.

The 37-year-old Spanish tennis star has been off the tour circuit since last January due to a hip flexor injury sustained during a second-round defeat at the Australian Open.

In May, shortly before the French Open – a tournament he has won a record 14 times – Nadal declared he would not participate, leaving uncertain his return date to the sport.

At that time, Nadal expressed his hope to play in 2024, anticipating it to be his final season. “You never know how things will turn out,” he said in a press conference, “but my intention is that next year will be my last year.”

Nadal underwent arthroscopic surgery in Barcelona in June. Since the end of 2022, the Spanish left-hander, aged 37, has experienced a series of losses, with a record of seven losses in his last nine matches, including a 1-3 record this season.

With 22 Grand Slam singles titles to his name, Nadal ranks just behind Djokovic, who holds the record with 24 titles among male players.