No date has been set for Rafael Nadal’s return to action from hip surgery, despite Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley claiming the former champion will compete.
The Spaniard, who has won 22 Grand Slam titles, has been out of action since January after picking up a hip flexor injury in a second-round defeat at the Australian Open.
Nadal, the 37-year-old former world No 1, underwent surgery on a hip muscle in June and was initially expected to be sidelined for about five months.
“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.”
However, Nadal and his team have made no decision on whether he will return to action in Melbourne.
It is believed while his camp are aware of comments from Tiley, there is no concrete date in place on when he will be back in any sort of competitive action having recently returned to practice.
Nadal has said he expects to retire following the 2024 season, with a series of injuries limiting his appearances on Tour.
The Spaniard has slipped to No 240 in the rankings but is eligible to receive a protected ranking having been injured and not competed in any tennis event for at least six months.
Nadal has won the Australian Open twice, most recently in 2022 when he beat Russia’s Daniil Medvedev and became the first man in the Open Era to come back from two sets down in the final to win.
Naomi Osaka, who spoke during a forum on mental health during the US Open, will also return to action in Melbourne
A trio of former Australian Open women’s singles champions – Naomi Osaka, Caroline Wozniacki and Angelique Kerber – are also due to return, while Nick Kyrgios is expected to play as he continues to recover from knee and wrist injuries.
“Nick is also doing his utmost to get back to his best and is plotting his return to the court,” said Tiley. “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.”
The tournament will run from January 14-28, with the opening day of play on a Sunday for the first time.
The Australian Open joins the French Open as the only tennis Grand Slams to be held over 15 days.
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