Rafael Nadal confirmed on Monday that he will return to action on Tuesday in the Barcelona Open on Tuesday.
Nadal called a press conference on the first day of the event he has won 12 times to say he will compete for the first time in almost three months, after another injury setback had prevented him from competing in January's Australian Open.
Rafael Nadal of Spain competes during the men's singles quarterfinal match against Denis Shapovalov of Canada at Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia, Jan. 25, 2022. (Photo by Hu Jingchen/Xinhua)
"I am happy to be here as I have a lot of good memories of this tournament," he said, explaining he had come as a last-minute decision. "I have had a good week of training and I am going to be on court tomorrow [Tuesday]," he confirmed.
37-year-old Nadal has already hinted he will retire at the end of the year, and his words in Barcelona did nothing to change that view.
"At this situation in my career, I am in a different situation, and rather than lament what I have missed, I would rather be happy to be here. I am taking this as my last year and I want to enjoy every moment and give it a special feeling."
"I try and manage the situation with my injuries as well as possible, we know what there is and I will continue until it's not worth doing so."
"I am not going to set a limit, but life marks the way for you and I will try and do the most logical thing," he said.
The veteran said it was a shame that Carlos Alcaraz, who many see as his successor, won't compete in Barcelona due to a problem with his forearm.
"It's bad news for the tournament to lose the top seed in my half of the draw, but I'm still not ready to think about the semifinals," commented Nadal.
China's industrial profits up 4.3 pct in January
Joel Matip and Thiago Alcantara to leave Liverpool when contracts expire at end of season
Mystik Dan looks like the horse to beat in the Preakness on what could be a muddy track
San Diego FC partners with Club Tijuana for a series of matches
De Bruyne to lead Belgium at Euro 2024 with unretired Witsel
Memphis man gets 80 years in prison for raping a woman a year before jogger’s killing
Subway commuters in Buenos Aires see fares spike by 360% as part of austerity campaign in Argentina
English fishing village told to boil water after outbreak from parasite sickens over 45 people
A bus crashes into vehicles in southern Turkey, leaving 10 dead and 39 injured
Paul Schrader felt death closing in, so he made 'Oh, Canada'
China's Henan gears up for massive wheat harvest
Hurricanes hold off Moana Pasifika to return to top spot in Super Rugby Pacific