Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Open chief Craig Tiley caused a stir when he suggested Rafael Nadal has confirmed he will play in the first Grand Slam of 2024 – and now the 22-time Grand Slam legend has made his first public comments on the claim.
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.
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.
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.
Speaking in an interview on Australian breakfast TV programme The Today Show, Tennis Australia chief executive Tiley said: “We can reveal exclusively here that Rafa will be back.
READ MORE:Rafael Nadal responds to claim he’s not changing his mind on Australian Open
“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.”
Tiley’s comments sparked a curious response from Nadal’s own camp, as Nadal’s manager Benito Perez-Barbadillo has issued a cautious response as he insisted that there is no clear return date for the Spaniard.
“We have seen the reports and comments but as of today we wouldn’t be able to confirm,” he said.
