Rafael Nadal on Wednesday insisted he will be "competitive" when he returns to professional tennis next month after enduring nearly a year out of action due to injury. The 22-time Grand Slam champion has undergone surgery twice in 2023 after struggling with a hip injury. He has said next year will likely be his last season before retirement and announced last week he would make his comeback at the Australian Open warm-up event in Brisbane, which runs from January 1-7. "I don't know at what level (he will play at), I don't know what to expect, I have no idea, but I don't care right now," Nadal said in a video posted on social media. "I'm just happy to be back and with great excitement to make the effort that is necessary to have fun and I believe that I will be competitive."