Rafael Nadal, who plans to return to the courts in January for the tournament in Brisbane, Australia, said on Wednesday that he only strives to “be competitive,” almost a year after his last match.
“I know it's a tough tournament, but I hope to be ready to play. I don't strive for anything else, just to be competitive,” Nadal, 37, said in a new video on his network's social media.
The former world No. 1, who fell to No. 664 in the ATP, announced last Friday his return to competition during the ATP 250 tournament in Brisbane (December 31 to January 7) after a near miss due to a hip injury empty 2023 season
Winner of 22 Grand Slam tournaments, the Spaniard's last match was his defeat in the second round of the Australian Open last January.
“I think I'm ready to come back. I don't know what level, I don't know what to expect, I have no idea, but I don't care,” Nadal said.
After the hip operation, “the horizon changed, the path was difficult,” said the Mallorcan. “There were a lot of doubts, there were times when it seemed impossible that this day would come, but I kept the motivation and the hope to come back,” he added.