Rafael Nadal announced on Friday morning, via his Instagram account, that he was making a return to competition and that he would take part in the Australian Open at the end of January.
The Spaniard will therefore be in the first major tournament of the season and will try to win his 21e grand slam title, which would make him the greatest champion in history.
Nadal had to end his season in August, just before the National Bank Open in Toronto, due to a left foot injury. He has not played a tournament on the circuit since, apart from an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi in late December, during which he and other players contracted COVID-19.
His presence was therefore uncertain for the start of the season. Now recovered, the toreador posted a photo of himself on the grounds of the Australian Open in Melbourne, along with the message “Don’t tell anyone… I’m here”.
Nadal won the Australian tournament only once, in 2009, but lost in the final four times in 2012, 2014, 2017 and 2019.