Rafael Nadal’s comeback at the ATP 250 in Doha confirmed!
The Spaniard missed the Australian Open after suffering a muscle tear while playing in the Brisbane International.
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Rafael Nadal (Source: Tennis365)
Rafael Nadal has confirmed that he will be making his comeback at the Qatar Open in Doha, which will be played between January 19 and January 24.
After a year-long break due to a hip flexor injury that the Spaniard suffered in the 2023 Australian Open, he finally made his return to the court at the 2024 Brisbane International this month. Unfortunately, the excitement of the fans was short-lived as he suffered a muscle tear around his troubled left hip while playing his third match of the tournament.
As a result, he fell short in his match against Jordan Thompson and announced that he would not take part in the 2024 Australian Open to take any risks.
However, it was a minor injury and Nadal has already recovered. He will now make his comeback in the ATP 250 in Doha, where he last played in 2016, i.e., eight years ago. When Rafael Nadal last took part in the tournament, i.e., in 2016, he reached the final but suffered a crushing defeat against Novak Djokovic.
Nadal wanted to take part in the tournament last year as well but was unfortunately not allowed to do so because of his injury. He will finally be able to do so and look to make a triumphant comeback in the Gulf nation.
However, it will not be an easy task, as he will be up against Russian giants like Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, and Karen Khachanov, who have also decided to take part in the tournament.
The Spaniard has a pretty great record at the Qatar Open. He won the title in 2014 by defeating Gael Monfils in the final and he reached the final back in 2010 when he defeated Nikolay Davydenko.
Rafael Nadal’s chances at the 2024 Qatar Open
Nadal performed pretty well in the three matches that he played at the 2024 Brisbane International. He played against Dominic Thiem and Jason Kubler in the first two rounds and performed brilliantly, defeating them both in straight sets.
It was only in the third round that he struggled against Jordan Thompson after winning the first set, as the Australian made a sensational comeback.
Fans have had mixed reactions to the news. While most of them are happy for the Spaniard’s return, some fans have also said that it is high time that Rafael Nadal should retire now as he is clearly struggling physically.
Sharing a wide spectrum of reactions online, here’s what fans have to say:
Nadal will be missing the South American swing in order to take part in the Qatar Open, as it suits well with his immediate goals. He has won the tournament only once and will look to win it for the second time this year. However, it will be extremely difficult, as he will be up against some really strong competition.
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Rishab Dutta
(794 Articles Published)