Rafael Nadal hopes to compete in the 2024 Australian Open and will fly to Australia next month, according to reports. The 37-year-old has not played since injuring his hip in the second round of the 2023 Australian Open against Mackenzie McDonald in January. The 22-time Grand Slam champion had surgery on the problem in June, expecting to be away for six to eight weeks. The Spaniard was forced to postpone his scheduled clay-court comeback and therefore missed the French Open for the first time since 2004. In a news conference announcing his withdrawal from Roland Garros, he stated that 2024 would most likely be his final season on the circuit.
The former world No.1 won his most recent Major championship at the 2022 French Open, where he defeated Casper Ruud in straight sets to set a new record with his 14th Roland Garros title. Earlier this month, Nadal indicated that he had made significant progress in his training and that he will be returning to the sport, though his return tournament has yet to be announced.
Until now, I didn’t know if I would ever play tennis again and now, I think so. What has changed from a few weeks ago to now is that now I know that I am going to play tennis again, Nadal said. I didn’t know it before, but now, honestly, I know it because the evolution is positive. Big steps have been taken lately. I’m not yet ready to say where. When I know, I will be the first to say it. It’s a good period of my life. It’s a step forward, without a doubt, and it means a lot, the Spaniard added.
In a report for Cadena SER, journalist Pedro Fullana revealed that Nadal plans to travel to Kuwait in the first half of December to increase the intensity of his training at the Rafa Nadal Academy Kuwait. Fullana also claimed that Nadal would return to Spain for Christmas before heading to Australia in late December, with the Spaniard expected to play lead-in tournaments ahead of an appearance at the Melbourne Grand Slam.
Last week, Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley recapitulated his expectation that Nadal will compete in the year’s first Major in January. Rafa has been training, I follow him closely, probably every day, because he’s a massive drawcard for us. He wants to play, he’s obviously planning on playing. It all depends on how he pulls up, Tiley said.
