Rafael Nadal Confident He Will Be 'Competitive' On Return To Tennis
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."
