Rafael Nadal announced Friday he will make his return to tennis in next month’s Brisbane International, returning to the court for the first time since suffering a hip injury last January that sidelined him for virtually all of 2023. The Brisbane International will kick off what is expected to be the 37-year-old Spaniard’s final season in 2024.
After losing in the second round of the Australian Open as he was hampered by injury, Nadal had initially expected to return to competition in the latter part of 2023. That never ended up materializing, as Nadal was kept out of action for the remainder of the season after undergoing hip surgery in June. Following the Brisbane International, Nadal is expected to make his Grand Slam return in the 2024 edition of the Australian Open.
After withdrawing from the French Open in May, Nadal had said he expects to retire following the 2024 season, adding that his motivation would be “to try and enjoy and say goodbye to all the tournaments that have been important to me.” Nadal’s 22 Grand Slam titles rank second all-time only to Novak Djokovic, with Roger Federer — another all-time great and a contemporary of both players — just behind in third.
