Rafael Nadal will return to competitive tennis in Brisbane in January after year out; 22-time Grand Slam champion to begin final year on ATP Tour as he prepares for Australian Open; Spaniard’s last match was second-round defeat to Mackenzie MacDonald in Melbourne at start of 2023
Monday 4 December 2023 06:54, UK
Rafael Nadal will return to tennis for the first time in a year when he plays at the Brisbane International in the first week of January, live on Sky Sports.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion has not played since a second-round defeat to American Mackenzie McDonald at the Australian Open at the start of 2023 when he was hampered by a hip injury.
Nadal confirmed on social media that his comeback will take place in Australia next month as he begins his final year on the ATP Tour.
In a video on X, the 37-year-old said: "After a year away from competition, it's time to come back. It will be in Brisbane, the first week of January. I'll see you there."
Sky Sports viewers will be able to watch Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek and more in 2024 thanks to new five-year partnerships with the ATP and WTA to show tennis all-year round.
The Brisbane International will help Nadal prepare for the Australian Open in Melbourne later in the month, a tournament he has won twice before, in 2009 and 2022.
Nadal came from two sets down to defeat Daniil Medvedev in the 2022 Australian Open final and then went on to win the French Open for a record-extending 14th time later that year.
The Spaniard has not won a major since and may only have a maximum of four more opportunities to add to his haul as he plans to retire at the end of the campaign.
Nadal is also keen to represent Spain at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
He has plummeted to 633 in the world rankings during his injury lay-off but is eligible for a protected ranking having not competed in any event for at least six months.
Speaking recently, Novak Djokovic said he would like at least one more match with great rival Nadal.
Sky has agreed new five-year partnerships with both ATP Media, the broadcast arm of the ATP, and WTA Ventures, the commercial arm of the WTA, which will see over 80 tournaments made up of 4000 matches available on Sky Sports, NOW and WOW.
Sky Sports coverage will be led by presenter Gigi Salmon, alongside Tim Henman and Laura Robson who will offer their expert analysis and insights across the two Tours, with Jonathan Overend on the match commentary.
The Sky Sports team will also be joined by additional talent and co-commentators at various events across the season.
Live tennis will be available from next year on Sky Sports, and non-Sky subscribers can access the Tours via a NOW Sports Monthly membership, with selected highlights available on demand.
For further access, fans will also be able to follow their favourite players and gain deeper insights from both Tours via Sky Sports News, the Sky Sports app, on SkySports.com and via Sky Sports social channels.
