The announcement that many tennis fans were waiting for has arrived. Rafael Nadal, one of the great legends of the racket who has been absent from the ATP circuit since January due to a hip injury suffered at the Australian Open, will play again at the start of the 2024 season. He confirmed it himself.
“After a year out of competition, the time has come to return. It will be in Brisbane and it will be the first week of January,” Posted the 37-year-old Spaniard, champion of 22 Grand Slams and whose severe injury this year cut off a streak of 912 consecutive weeks in the Top 10 of the ranking.
The former world number one was able to play only four matches this year: two for the United Cup, with losses against Cameron Norrie and Alex De Minaur, and another two at Melbourne Park (victory against Jack Draper and loss with Mackenzie Mcdonald), where he suffered the injury.
From there, there were threats of his return. That he was in Barcelona. Which was in Madrid. Which was in Monte Carlo. In Rome. That Roland Garros cannot be missed. But he was unable to play in any of those tournaments and he ended up closing the season early with a press conference in which he left the door open for retirement in 2024:
“I have no intention of playing for the next few months. My goal is to stop to face the last year of my sports career at least with guarantees of being able to enjoy it,” he said back in May.
Since then, the tennis world hopes, at least, to see him train at his academy in Mallorca and be excited to see him again on a tennis court. AND Craig Tileydirector of the Australian Open, assured in October that Rafa would return to play the first Major it’s from the season. “He confirmed to me that he will return next year, which excites us all. It is great news,” he told Nine’s Today.
However, that rumor was soon silenced. Days after that announcement, The Times picked up the message from a spokesman for the Mallorcan. “We have seen the reports and comments but, as of today, we could not confirm it. We definitely don’t know yet. It’s too soon to say that. We definitely haven’t released any dates because we just don’t know. “Rafa is just starting to practice,” they argued.
Then, Nadal himself made a post along the same lines. “I appreciate the vote of confidence from the Australian Open… I am practicing every day and working hard to return as soon as possible,” he posted on his social media.
Nadal finished what was left of the 2023 Australian Open and did not play again. (Manan Vatsyayana)
There was no set date for his return. Now there is. And the world of tennis is eagerly awaiting her.
2023-12-01 16:26:46
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