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Rafael Nadal is making a grand comeback, set to return to the tennis scene in early January.
Nadal, 37, announced on X, formerly Twitter, Friday that he will be competing in the Brisbane International in Australia next month, nearly a year after his last match.
“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,” he said.
During the Australian Open last January, Nadal endured a hip flexor injury during a second-round defeat. Initially, the 22-time Grand Slam champion was expected to miss 6-8 weeks, but the hip did not heal sufficiently. This led to his withdrawal from the French Open in May, a tournament he’s won 14 times. Nadal then underwent arthroscopic surgery in June and expressed his hope to return in 2024, which he planned to be his final season.
“My idea, my motivation is to try to say goodbye to all the tournaments that have been important for me in my career and just enjoy being competitive and being on court, which today is not possible,” Nadal said at the time.
Nadal started 2023 as the No. 2 player in the ATP singles rankings, but now holds the No. 663 spot in the world.
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