Rafael Nadal is confident he will return to action, after missing almost all of 2023 with a hip injury that required surgery. And now he says he will soon reveal his comeback plans.
Nadal wrote on social media on Thursday: “I confirmed yesterday that I will be back. »
“Stay tuned,” he continued in an Instagram post, which included a photo of him about to perform a backhand shot.
Nadal indicated that in the coming days he will announce when and where he will return to play.
The next one will begin at the end of December. Main draw matches at the first major tournament of the year, the Australian Open, begin on January 14.
“For the tennis world, it’s definitely great news that he’s back,” Novak Djokovic said at the ATP Finals in Turin, Italy.
Nadal, whose 22 Grand Slam men’s singles titles rank second in history behind Djokovic’s 24, has not played on the ATP Tour since last January, when he was injured to a hip flexor in a loss to Mackenzie McDonald in the second round of the Australian Open.
In May, just over a week before the start of the French Open, Nadal announced he would miss the event he has won a record 14 times. He added that he did not know exactly when he would be able to return to the game.
He then mentioned that he hoped to return to competition in 2024, which he said would be his last season.
“You never know how things are going to go,” Nadal said during a press conference at the time. But my intention is that next year will be my last. »
He finally underwent an arthroscopy in June in Barcelona.
Looking back to the end of 2022, the 37-year-old Spaniard has lost seven of his last nine matches. He was 1-3 this season.
With Roger Federer, winner of 20 majors, announcing his retirement in 2022, and Nadal missing much of this year, Djokovic was the only member of the so-called “Big Three” of men’s tennis who was active throughout long from 2023.
The 36-year-old Serbian has also dominated, particularly during the Grand Slam tournaments. He won the Australian Open, the Roland-Garros tournament and the United States Open in addition to reaching the final at Wimbledon.
“I think it would be good for the sport to have at least one more match between Nadal and me. It is the greatest rivalry in terms of number of matches played in the history of the sport. I hope it can happen, Djokovic insisted. He is a great warrior. He is truly someone who never gives up. With all the injuries he has suffered, he continues. That’s definitely something you have to respect and admire about him, with his competitive spirit. »
