Rafael Nadal’s comeback in 2024 Brisbane breaks his own personal record for the longest injury spell that kept him away from the tour

The previous record was between Wimbledon 2012 and Santiago 2013 for 223 days.

Rafael Nadal’s comeback in 2024 Brisbane breaks his own personal record for the longest injury spell that kept him away from the tour

Rafael Nadal all set to make his comeback in January. (Image via: Imago)

Rafael Nadal, after being sidelined for more than a year, has announced his comeback. The Spaniard is all set to return in January at the Brisbane International, a warm-up event ahead of the Australian Open.

Nadal was hit with a terrible hip injury which forced him to stay away from the court. However, on Friday the Spaniard posted a video message on his social media handles. In the video, the Spaniard announced that his comeback will be in Brisbane.

Last month Craig Tiley, chief executive of the Australian Open, had already hinted about Nadal’s comeback. Tiley said that Nadal’s comeback announcement is just around the corner. Reports said Nadal will step on the court after a gap of 350+ days, his longest duration without a single match played (the previous was between Wimbledon 2012 and Santiago 2013, 223 days).

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YouTube video

Nadal’s last match was in Melbourne where he was beaten in the second round by Mackenzie McDonald. Even before the hip injury, the 22 Grand Slam titles winner suffered from an abdominal injury. The abdominal injury forced him to withdraw from the Wimbledon semifinals. Rafa has been nursing injuries and bearing pain throughout his career. Even then, he managed to become an absolute legend of the game.

What’s in the cards for Rafael Nadal after his comeback?

Coming back from injury is never an easy part for any athlete. Especially coming back from injury and playing competitive tennis after 350+ days is an uphill task. However, Rafa has done it on numerous occasions in his career. The pain-bearing capability he has shown is superhuman. The time when he played with a broken finger is scripted in the history books for everyone to see.

Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal (image via: The Hindustan Times)

It is pretty obvious that he will be a bit scratchy in his opening few games, but a player of his stature will take little time to gain his momentum back. With the Brisbane International before the Australian Open, he will be able to gain some matches under his belt before the mega event.

Rafa has stated in the media that he wants to play all four Grand Slam events this season. However, his body will be under a lot of pressure from the injuries.

When asked about his injury and comeback the Spaniard replied he will only try to enjoy himself in the court and regain his competitiveness. He also sarcastically remarked that he would not be able to beat the 24 Grand Slam titles of Novak Djokovic.

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