Nadal breaks silence on return to tennis after Australian Open chief's comments

11 October 2023 , 15:33

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Rafael Nadal has spoken out on his future in tennis (Image: Andy Cheung/Getty Images)

Rafael Nadal has denied that his return to tennis has been officially confirmed after Australian Open organisers suggested he was due to play in next year's tournament.

The 37-year-old tennis legend has been out of action since he suffered a hip flexor injury during his second-round defeat to Mackenzie McDonald at the 2023 edition in Melbourne. Earlier this year, Nadal announced that he would miss the French Open, where he has won 14 of his 22 major titles, due to surgery on his hip issue.

This has led to him dropping down to 240th in the world rankings. However, Nadal will be able to use a protected ranking for the first Grand Slam of the 2024 calendar.

In an interview on Australian breakfast TV programme The Today Show, Tennis Australia chief executive Craig Tiley revealed: "We can reveal exclusively here that Rafa will be back." He added: "He's been off for most of the year and in talking to him over the last few days he confirmed he will be back, which we're really excited about, the champion of 2022. That's awesome."

However, Nadal has since clarified his position on social media, writing: "I appreciate the vote of confidence from the Australian Open. I am practising every day and working hard to come back asap."

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Meanwhile his camp told Mail Sport: "We don’t know anything about his schedule yet. We have seen the reports and comments but as of today we wouldn’t be able to confirm. It is too early to say, even for Melbourne."

Hopes of Nadal ever returning to a competitive setting have been waning in recent months, with the Spaniard opening up on the impact his chronic injury issues have had on his everyday life. In a documentary earlier this year, he admitted that issues with a longstanding foot injury can flare up at any time.

Nadal hasn't appeared since his Australian Open exit at the hands of Mackenzie McDonald at the start of the year (Will Murray/Getty Images)

“(The pain isn’t gone) but now it is controllable,” he explained. “There are times when the foot does not let me live in peace. It is difficult for me to even go down the stairs and that happens sometimes. If it hurts it is difficult to be happy, my character changes when it hurts more than necessary.”

Meanwhile, Tiley also shared that "some of the greats" including former women's singles champions Naomi Osaka, Caroline Wozniacki and Angelique Kerber were also set to return. He added: "We'll welcome them and their families back to Melbourne with open arms and can't wait to see what their next chapter brings."

Nick Kyrgios, a fan favourite, who has only managed to play one ATP Tour match in 2023 due to injuries, is back in training and hopeful of being fit for Melbourne. Tiley added that he was "doing his utmost to get back to his best".

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]

Ben Husband