Rafael Nadal To Begin 2024 Comeback At Australian Open Tuneup

Rafael Nadal will begin his 2024 comeback from hip surgery at an Australian Open tuneup event in January.

Depending on how he feels at that event, likely the Brisbane Open (Dec. 31-Jan. 7), the 37-year-old Spanish tennis legend would then play the Australian Open which runs Jan. 14-28, according to a report from Spanish reporter Pedro Fullana.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion has been out of action since suffering an injury to his lower abdomen and upper right leg at this year’s Australian Open in January. He had keyhole hip surgery in June.

In October, Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley announced Nadal would return to the year’s first Grand Slam in 2024.

“We can reveal exclusively here that Rafael Nadal will be back,” Tiley said then, per nine.com. “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. That’s awesome.”

At the time, Nadal’s representative Benito Perez-Barbadillo told Reuters via text that the Spanish player’s upcoming schedule had not yet been decided.

In recent days, video of Nadal practicing at his academy has surfaced.

Nadal won the Australian Open in 2022, coming from two sets down to beat Russian Daniil Medevdev in a match that lasted 5 hours, 24 minutes. At the time, it marked his record 21st Grand Slam title. He went on to win his 22nd at Roland Garros that year.

His top rival, Novak Djokovic, has since surpassed him with 24 major titles and recently said he believed he could win all four majors and the Paris Olympics, which will be held at Roland Garros, next year.