Credit: Twitter
Tournament director of the Australian Open, Craig Tiley, recently shared that Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal will be returning to next year’s tournament. Nadal has dealt with major injuries through 2023 and has been out of action since this year’s Australia Open. Nadal also underwent hip muscle surgery in June and was expected for about five months. Nadal also shared his plans to retire after the 2024 season with a possible appearance at the Olympics.
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Talking about his current ranking, the Spaniard also went down to No. 240 but is eligible to receive a protected ranking, with his injuries ruling him out for over six months. Coming back to his possible appearance at the Australian Open, Craig Tiley stated that he has been in conversation with Nadal and his team, who confirmed the development.
"We can reveal exclusively here that Rafa will be back," Tiley said on The Today Show. "He's been off for most of the year and in talking to him over the last few days he confirmed he will be back, which we're really excited about, the champion of 2022. That's awesome."
Further talking about returning players, Craig Tiley also talked about Australian star Nick Krygios' possible appearance at the Australian Open. Talking about the former Wimbledon finalist, Tiley said, "Nick is also doing his utmost to get back to his best and is plotting his return to the court.”
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“We know how much competing at the Australian Open means to him and he never fails to bring excitement and passion. His amazing brand of tennis and showmanship always adds something very special to the tournament,” he continued.
