Rafael Nadal will 'arrive' for Madrid Open as his uncle shares conversation about injury

Rafael Nadal is on track to make his comeback from injury at the Madrid Open at the beginning of May. The world No 4 has been sidelined since Indian Wells after picking up a stress fracture in his rib but his former coach and uncle Toni Nadal has now shared a conversation between the two, confirming that the 'King of Clay' hopes to return at the tournament where he is a five-time champion.

Nadal started the season on a 20 match-winning streak, picking up titles in Melbourne, the Australian Open and Acapulco before he fractured his rib in the Indian Wells semi-final. He then lost the championship match to Taylor Fritz the following day and has been sidelined since. But the world No 4 is now set to make his return in less than two weeks after his uncle and former coach revealed his comeback plans.

The Spaniard missed last week's Monte Carlo Masters and was then forced to withdraw from this week's Barcelona Open, leaving the Madrid Masters as the next big clay event he could return at. And Toni Nadal has now confirmed that his nephew is set to travel to the tournament, which begins on May 2. "He told me yes, that he would arrive. Then, we'll see," the current coach of ATP No 9 Felix Auger-Aliassime told TVE.

The news comes after the 21-time Major champion finally returned to the practice court after four weeks on Monday, commemorating it with a social media post. His uncle Toni continued: "Yesterday he started training and he still has 15 days left to see how everything evolves. If he arrives in good condition, he will play."

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Days after Nadal's team admitted they did not know when the Spaniard would be making his return from injury, he took to social