The 22-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal announced on Friday that he will be competing at the Brisbane International in Australia again in January, 2024.
“After a year of not competing, it is time to come back,” Nadal said in a video posted on social media. “It will be in Brisbane in the first week of January. See you there.” The 37-year-old Spaniard hasn’t competed on the circuit since suffering a hip flexor injury after a defeat in the Australian Open’s second round in January of last year. Also read: Jannik Sinner Knocks Out Djokovic to keep Italy alive in Davis Cup
Nadal declared he will miss the French Open, which he has won a record 14 times, in May, a little over a week before the competition began. He gave no specific date for his comeback. At the time, Rafael Nadal had stated that he hoped to play in 2024, considering it to be his last season.
“You never know how things will turn out,” Nadal said at a news conference at the time, “but my intention is that next year will be my last year.”
In the end, he underwent arthroscopic surgery in Barcelona in June. The Spanish left-hander, who is now 1/3 this season, has lost seven of his previous nine games dating back to the end of 2022. Also read: WTA, ATP: No penalties for players taking part in Russian event
With 22 Grand Slam singles victories, Rafael Nadal is second only to Novak Djokovic, who has 24.