WATCH: Rafael Nadal spotted serving for the first time in days amid 'discomfort' concerns during Barcelona training

Rafael Nadal has started ironing out the kinks in his serve, if a video of the Spaniard practicing in Barcelona that surfaced on the internet is anything to go by.

The 22-time Major winner withdrew from this week's Monte-Carlo Masters, stating that "his body wouldn't allow him" to play at the tournament.

"These are very difficult moments for me, sporting wise. Unfortunately I have to tell you that I am not going to be playing in Monte Carlo," he wrote on Instagram. "My body simply won't allow me."

Following his announcement, Rafael Nadal's uncle Toni disclosed that the 37-year-old had some 'discomfort' while serving, inferring that it was a major factor in his nephew's decision to sit out of Monte-Carlo.

"For the moment he can’t play there [Monte-Carlo], he hasn’t recovered yet," Uncle Toni said (via Tennis365). "He has discomfort when serving, otherwise he has no problems when training."

For what it's worth, Rafael Nadal has been getting underneath the ball and serving well as he prepares to play the Barcelona Open next week. On Saturday (April 13), a video of him playing a practice set against Andrey Rublev went viral on X (formerly Twitter).

The former World No. 1 was sporting a red sleeveless t-shirt and white shorts and could be seen sharpening his serve from the Deuce side of the court. He also worked on his defensive groundstrokes and serve-return with Rublev hitting serves at him.

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Rafael Nadal hasn't played a pro-tour event since Brisbane International 2024

Rafael Nadal had been out of action for a large majority of the entire 2023 season due to a hip injury. The 22-time Major winner underwent arthroscopic surgery to correct the issue, following which he was in rehabilitation before announcing his return to the ATP tour last December.

The 37-year-old's comeback, however, has been far from ideal. Although he was in top form during his first two matches back at the Brisbane International in January, he picked up a muscle tear in his left hip during his quarterfinal exit from the 250-level tournament.

Nadal subsequently missed the Australian Open in January, the Qatar Open in February and the Indian Wells Masters in March as he wasn't in good enough shape to compete.

On account of his lack of great results, the Spaniard has failed to make inroads in the ATP PIF rankings and is currently placed outside the top 600. He is now in a race against time to get in some match practice ahead of the French Open in May-June, which will most likely be the 14-time champion's last appearance on the terre battue.