Rafael Nadal stated he hopes to return to play at the ATP event in Barcelona next week, although he emphasized that nothing is certain after working out there on Wednesday.
The 37-year-old withdrew from the Monte-Carlo Masters last week, citing physical limitations that prevented him from playing again. He seemed to be having trouble serving because of recent abdominal discomfort.
However, Nadal travelled to Barcelona and used the court for a training session on Wednesday in an attempt to get back up to speed before the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell next week. He then posted an update on social media, making it clear that his return is still very much in the air.
Nadal posted on X: “Hello from Barcelona. First training session with the hope of being here these days before the start of the tournament. I’m here to see how it goes with the desire to try to play. I’ll tell you about it. It’s important to say that I don’t want to confirm that I will play, I hope so. We’ll see.”
Rafael Nadal in 2024
Now the world no.646, Nadal played his last match on the 5th of January when he capitulated to world no.32 Jordan Thompson 5-7 7-6(6) 6-3 in the quarter in Brisbane (draw).
At the moment, during this season Rafael has managed to achieve a compiled 2-1 record.
He is also scheduled to play in Barcelona (Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell) on the 15th of April and Madrid (Mutua Madrid Open) on the 24th of April.