WATCH: ‘A little present’ for Rafael Nadal fans

Shahida Jacobs
A smiling Rafael Nadal

The countdown to Rafael Nadal’s highly-anticipated return to competitive action is officially on with a new video showing the tennis great has stepped up his comeback bid.

Nadal has enjoyed a nightmare 2023 campaign, playing only four matches with his season ravaged by a hip injury that required surgery in June.

There had been high hopes he would return to action before the end of the year with some suggesting he could feature for Spain at the Davis Cup Finals in November in Malaga, but that dream was shattered when the country failed to qualify for the quarter-final.

But the 22-time Grand Slam winner’s recovery and training appear to be going well, judging by the latest “little present” that has been shared by a fan on X (former Twitter).

In the video, Nadal is moving freely and not holding back with some of his shots.

If things go according to plan, then Nadal is expected to make his return at the beginning of the 2024 season and it remains to be seen if he will play any warm-up matches ahead of the Australian Open.

The 37-year-old sustained the hip injury during a second-round defeat at this year’s Australian Open and he initially eyed a comeback in March, but that was pushed back until the French Open.

He was eventually forced to give up on his dream of defending his Roland Garros crown as he was advised to undergo surgery. During a press conference to announce his withdrawal from the clay-court Grand Slam, Nadal also revealed that the 2024 season will likely be his final on the ATP Tour.

During a recent interview with Spanish publication Marca, Nadal admitted that he tried to completely disconnect not only from tennis, but news in general during his extended time on the sidelines.

“I also needed to disconnect from everything. The sea disconnects me a lot, I have the impression that the hours are completely different from those we have on land,” he said.

“The sea has always been my escape, even if it was always for three or four days, and this time it is for five weeks. I knew I would be okay, but my family had to be okay too, and that’s what happened.

“I was able to enjoy it, not be too attached to my cell phone or the television, follow the news, but it didn’t go any further. I tried to disconnect in every way possible. I watched very little tennis.”

READ MORE: ‘We should never rule him out’ – Rafael Nadal backed to be ‘very competitive’ in comeback

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