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Rafael Nadal is set to return to grand slam tennis at the 2024 Australian Open, tournament director Craig Tiley has announced.<\/p>\n
The 37-year-old has not been in action since suffering a hip flexor injury during his second-round defeat to Mackenzie McDonald during the 2023 edition in Melbourne.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, Nadal announced he would miss the French Open, where he has claimed 14 of his 22 major titles, as he was undergoing surgery on the issue.<\/p>\n
His inactivity has seen the Spaniard slide down to 240th in the world, but Nadal will be able to rely on a protected ranking for the first grand slam of the 2024 calendar.<\/p>\n
Speaking in an interview on Australian breakfast TV programme The Today Show, Tennis Australia chief executive Tiley said: \u201cWe can reveal exclusively here that Rafa will be back.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s 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\u2019re really excited about, the champion of 2022. That\u2019s awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tiley also revealed \u201csome of the greats\u201d will be making their way Down Under, with former women\u2019s singles champions Naomi Osaka, Caroline Wozniacki and Angelique Kerber all lined up for returns.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll welcome them – and their families – back to Melbourne with open arms and can\u2019t wait to see what their next chapter brings,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Home favourite Nick Kyrgios, who has played only one ATP Tour match in 2023 due to injuries, has returned to training and is hopeful of being fit for Melbourne, with Tiley adding that he was \u201cdoing his utmost to get back to his best\u201d.<\/p>\n