Rafael Nadal gears up for competitive comeback despite refusing to confirm Monte-Carlo return

Despite having refused to affirm speculation of his return to action at the 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters, Rafael Nadal is preparing to make his comeback to competitive tennis soon.

Nadal has been out of action since the 2023 Australian Open due to the hip injury he sustained in the second round of the tournament against Mackenzie McDonald. News of the Spaniard making a comeback on the clay swing at the upcoming Monte-Carlo Masters - a tournament he has won 11 times - broke online last week, delighting his fans around the globe.

However, Nadal was quick to play down suggestions of an imminent comeback, stating that he would only announce his return when the time was right.

"I don't know who gets this information. Obviously, if it were true, I would confirm it, but unfortunately, I can't. I'm following my course and I don't know when I'll play again, that's the truth," he said.

"I'm in a phase of increasing work. If I knew when I was going to return, I would say so, but I don't know. I can't confirm that I will play in Monte Carlo, things are seen day by day. I prefer to say things when I really know them," he added.

But soon after making that statement, the 36-year-old shared a photo of himself practicing on a clay court at his Rafa Nadal academy in Spain. The caption accompanying the post on Instagram read:

"We continue with the preparation for the return to competition." (Translated from Spanish).

---

Rafael Nadal slips out of ATP top 10 for the first time since 2005

Rafael Nadal pictured at the 2023 Australian Open - Day 3.

Rafael Nadal’s absence from the 2023 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells saw the 22-time Grand Slam champion slip out of the top 10 for the first time since 2005.

Unable to defend his 600 ranking points from Indian Wells (finalist in 2022), Nadal fell four places to 13th in the rankings. That brought to an end his record-breaking 912-week stay in the top 10.

But the 14-time Roland-Garros champion is currently in a favorable position to boost his ranking. He has only 270 points to defend during the clay-court tournaments prior to the French Open.

With three Masters 1000 tournaments on clay, there are abundant opportunities for Nadal to earn more points. However, it remains unclear as to when and where the 36-year-old will return to the ATP Tour.