Rafael Nadal's coach explains decision to snub clay events in...

Rafael Nadal suffered an injury setback at the Brisbane International but could make his return next month.

Rafael Nadal looks set to make his return at the ATP 250 event in Doha after picking up a fresh injury in Brisbane. The Spaniard suffered a micro muscle tear in his first tournament following a 12-month layoff but could be back in action by late February. His decision to sign up to Doha instead of the Latin American clay events raised eyebrows and Carlos Moya has now explained why he opted to go for a hard-court event over the dirt.

Nadal could be back in action in three weeks after suffering an immediate setback in his injury return. The former world No. 1 spent a year sidelined by a left psoas injury and underwent surgery in June. He then came back in Brisbane at the start of the month, earning two statement victories before getting injured during his defeat to Jordan Thompson.

The 37-year-old later announced that he had suffered a micro tear on the muscle and was pulling out of the Australian Open but said it was “good news” that the issue wasn’t in the same place as his previous injury. Since then, Nadal has appeared on the entry list for the Qatar Open in Doha, beginning on February 19.

Many thought Nadal would try and play the clay events in Buenos Aires and Rio given his dominance on the surface. But his coach has now explained why he opted to stay on hard courts, giving a hint about his future schedule. “Surface changes are not easy,” Moya told Punto De Break.