Tennis: Rafael Nadal announces his return to competition in Brisbane in early January

Europe 1 with AFP / Photo credit: Thomas SAMSON / AFP 14:27 p.m., December 01, 2023

Spain's Rafael Nadal, who has been out of action for nearly a year, announced on Friday that he will return to competition in early January at the ATP tournament in Brisbane, a warm-up to the Australian Open. "After a year without competition, it's time to come back. It will be in Brisbane in the first week of January," the 1-year-old former world No. 37 said in a video posted on his social media.

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Dropped to 663rd in the world

Nadal hasn't played since losing in the second round of the Australian Open in January. Falling to 663rd in the world after almost a year without playing, the left-hander from Manacor says he "doesn't deserve to finish like this", in reference to the hip injury he suffered in Melbourne in January 2023, during a tournament he won in 2009 and 2022. The 37-year-old has undergone two surgeries since then and said in September that the 2024 season was going to be his last.

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Nadal will try to return to the highest level in Australia but should be aiming for his favourite tournament on the clay of Roland-Garros, where he has won 14 times. He is now behind Serbian world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the number of Grand Slam tournaments won, who now has 24 major titles, two more than him. The Spaniard had already had a 2021 season undermined by a foot injury, and was eliminated by Djokovic in the semifinals of the France Open, visibly diminished.