Rafael Nadal comeback ‘plan’ and tournament revealed as tennis pundit shares ‘really great news’

Shahida Jacobs 15 Jan 2024 4:45 AM

Rafael Nadal is making his ATP Tour comeback

Rafael Nadal’s next tournament is apparently “just around the corner” following his Australian Open withdrawal with tennis pundit Laura Robson saying his injury is not as bad as initially feared.

The 22-time Grand Slam winner is once again on the sidelines after picking up a fresh injury during his comeback event at the Brisbane International at the start of the 2024 season.

After missing nearly the entire 2023 campaign due to hip injury that required surgery in June, Nadal played three matches at the ATP 250 event shortly after the start of the year new year.

The tennis great required medical treatment during his quarter-final defeat to Jordan Thompson and not long after he announced his withdrawal from the Australian Open due to a micro tear on a muscle, although he admitted it was “not in the same part where I had the injury and that’s good news”.

There were initially concerns that he could spend another lengthy period on the sidelines, but if former British No 1 Robson’s comments are to believed then he will be back in mid-February.

“Being boots on the ground, I’ve been chatting away to some Spanish coaches over the last 48 hours and last I heard the plan was for [Nadal] to restart in Doha, which is actually just around the corner,” she said during a Eurosport broadcast.

The Qatar Open gets underway on February 19 at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex and Nadal is a former champion as he won the tournament in 2014 while his last appearance in Doha was in 2016 when he finished runner-up to Novak Djokovic.

Robson added: “Clearly the injury isn’t that bad, he’s going to manage it,” said Robson. “Whether he actually plays [Doha], we’ll see, but the fact that he’s even hopeful to be out there that quickly after withdrawing from the Aussie Open is really great news.”