Rafael Nadal announces he will reveal his 2024 comeback date soon

Rafael Nadal has revealed that he will soon be announcing the date of his competitive return.

The Spaniard is currently on a tennis hiatus. He hasn’t played a single match since his second-round exit at the Australian Open in January this year, where he crashed out in straight sets against American Mackenzie McDonald. The 22-time Grand Slam champion sustained a hip injury during the match, which derailed his 2023 season. As a last resort, he underwent arthroscopic hip surgery in June and has been recuperating since.

In a press interview on November 15, Rafael Nadal confessed that he was unsure of whether he would ever return to the tennis courts during his injury ordeal. He, however, proceeded to share an optimistic update about his impending comeback plans.

"I didn't know if I would play tennis again one day. And now, I sincerely believe that I will play again," the Spaniard told the press at the Teknon Tennis Clinic (translated from Spanish via Eurosport).

He also said that he is happy with the progress he has made during his training sessions:

"I am happy with how things are evolving."

Nadal has now stated that he would soon share his comeback date with tennis fans online after discussing it with his team.

"I confirmed yesterday I’ll be back. Stay tuned these days when I decide and announce with my team when and where," he teased on Instagram.

It is worth noting that the 2024 campaign is likely to be the 37-year-old’s last before he draws the curtains on his illustrious career.

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Rafael Nadal "can win big tournaments again", believes Boris Becker

Rafael Nadal lifted his 92nd career title at the 2022 French Open

Tennis legend Boris Becker recently weighed in on Rafael Nadal’s highly-anticipated return.

"First of all, it's good news that he wants to play and is on the training field," the six-time Grand Slam champion told Eurosport.

Becker then highlighted the rapid rise of the younger generation and opined that the players were likely to give the Spaniard a run for his money.

"It will be a long, rocky road back. The young wild ones don't sleep. They don't say: 'It's nice that you came. We'll let you win now,' He will always be a hunted man," he said.

The German, who is currently coaching 20-year-old Holger Rune, however, was optimistic about the former World No. 1 making his mark on the tour despite having his work cut out.

"He should go back on the court and play well. As far as I'm concerned, he can win big tournaments again," Boris Becker said.