He’s back.
Rafael Nadal has confirmed the destination for his comeback from almost a year away from tennis, announcing on Friday that he will play the 2024 Brisbane International. The ATP 250 tournament is December 31-January 7 in Brisbane, Australia.
“Hello, everyone,” Nadal said in video he posted on social media (in Spanish). “After a year away from competition, it’s time to come back. It will be in Brisbane the first week of January. I’ll see you there.”
The 22-time Grand Slam champion has not played since the 2023 Australian Open, where–hampered by a hip injury–he lost to Mackenzie McDonald in the second round. Nadal hoped to return for the clay-court swing but was unable to do so and underwent a hip procedure in early June.
He will prepare for Brisbane and the Australian Open with a training block at his academy in Kuwait later this month.
Earlier this week, Brisbane tournament organizers revealed that Holger Rune, Grigor Dimitrov, Ben Shelton, and Andy Murray are on the entry list. On the women’s side, participants include Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Victoria Azarenka, and Naomi Osaka.
here we go
Maybe. Will believe it when I see it. 👀👀
Brisbane one of my favourites