Recovering From Injury, Rafael Nadal Appears At Barcelona Open

Rafael Nadal is ready to return after being injured throughout 2023. (Sky Sports)

JAKARTA - Rafael Nadal will return to play at the ATP for the first time since January, when he plays against Flacvio Cobolli at the Barcelona Open which starts April 15, 2024.

The 22-time Grand champion has only played once, in a friendly, since suffering a hip injury when Jordan Thompson was beaten in the quarter-finals of the Brisbane Open, as quoted by AFP.

The Barcelona Open tournament is also planned to be followed by compatriot Nadal, namely Carlos Alcaraz. The world number three player resigned from the Monte Carlo Masters this week due to a right arm injury.

Unlike Nadal, two-time Barcelona Open champion, Alcaraz, got a shot in the first round because he was a leading tennis player.

Nadal missed the majority of the 2023 season due to injury, and has only played at Brisbane International this season.

The injury at Brisbane International saw the 14-time French Open champion resign from the Australian Open, as well as the events in Doha and Indian Wells. Previously he had intended to return to playing competitive tennis at Indian Wells.

Nadal's only appearance since the Brisbane Open was a friendly against Alcaraz in Las Vegas in March. In that match, a number of observers assessed that Nadal still felt uncomfortable on his back.

With 2024 likely to be Nadal's last year to take part in the tour, he will likely try to prepare himself to perform optimally in his favorite clay tournament, the French Open in June.