Craig Tiley, the director of the Australian Open, has announced that Rafael Nadal will make his comeback to grand-slam tennis at the 2024 tournament.
The 37-year-old has been out of commission since sustaining a hip flexor injury in his second-round loss to Mackenzie McDonald at the 2023 Melbourne tournament.
In the beginning of this year, Nadal declared that he would not participate in the French Open, where he has won 14 out of his 22 major titles, due to undergoing surgery for an injury.
Due to his lack of participation, the Spaniard’s ranking has dropped to 240th in the world. However, Nadal will have the benefit of a protected ranking for the first major tournament of the 2024 season.
During an appearance on the Australian morning show The Today Show, Tennis Australia CEO Tiley announced that Rafael Nadal will be returning to the sport. After a year of being off the court, Nadal confirmed his comeback during discussions with Tiley in recent days, prompting excitement for his return as the 2022 champion.
Tiley announced that several notable players, including past women’s singles champions Naomi Osaka, Caroline Wozniacki, and Angelique Kerber, will be participating in the tournament. He expressed excitement for their return to Melbourne and looked forward to seeing their future successes.
Nick Kyrgios, a popular player among his home crowd, has been facing injuries and has only participated in one ATP Tour match in 2023. However, he has resumed training and is optimistic about his chances of being ready for Melbourne. Tiley also mentioned that Kyrgios is working hard to regain his top form.
