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Rafael Nadal is set to make his highly anticipated ATP return at the Barcelona Open next week, which would make his first official tournament appearance since January. The 22-time Grand Slam champion will clash against Flavio Cobolli in his return fixture in the upcoming tournament. Nadal will make his comeback after a hiatus prompted by a hip injury flare-up during his quarterfinal loss in the Brisbane Open.
The 37-year-old suffered the injury during his defeat by Jorda Thompson in Brisbane. Nadal will look forward to a problem-free return as he aims for a record-extending 15th French Open title, which is scheduled from May 20 to June 9. Apart from Nadal, world number 3, Carlos Alcaraz will also make his return in the forthcoming tournament. Alcaraz withdrew from the Monte Carlo Masters due to an injury in his right arm.
Alcaraz will get a first-round bye due to being seeded, while Nadal has a wildcard invite. The Spaniard appeared in a press conference on Saturday, where he was joined by the organisers of the tournament. This will be the first time that Nadal will play the 63rd-ranked Cobolli, who is 16-year junior to him. Following this round, he will face Australia’s Alex De Minaur.
Ahead of the ATP 500 event, Nadal was spotted interacting with fans in Barcelona after his training session. He resumed his on-court practice and was seen in a jovial mood while interacting with fans and gave his autographs as well as took selfies with them.