- Rafael Nadal. is eyeing a mid-February comeback in Doha.
- This comes after his withdrawal from the Australian Open.
- He may also play an exhibition match against Carlos Alcaraz.
According to tennis analyst Laura Robson, Rafael Nadal might make his comeback sooner than anyone would have imagined. The Spaniard might take the court as early as mid-February.
After a 12-month layoff, Nadal finally returned this month at the Brisbane International, but he was forced to withdraw from the Australian Open due to a fresh injury.
There were rumors following the Spaniard’s most recent injury that the 22-time Grand Slam winner would announce his retirement from the game because of his never-ending injuries, but he is determined to get back on the court as soon as possible.
According to Robson, Nadal disclosed in a conversation that he intended to celebrate his comeback in Doha in February.
“Being boots on the ground, I’ve been chatting away to some Spanish coaches over the last 48 hours and last I heard the plan was for [Nadal] to restart in Doha, which is actually just around the corner,” she said during a Eurosport broadcast.
Nadal, a previous winner, might make an appearance at the Qatar Open, which gets underway at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex on February 19. Despite the fact that he last won the competition in 2014, he hasn’t participated since 2016, when he placed second and lost to Novak Djokovic in the championship match.
“Clearly the injury isn’t that bad, he’s going to manage it,” said Robson. “Whether he actually plays [Doha], we’ll see, but the fact that he’s even hopeful to be out there that quickly after withdrawing from the Aussie Open is really great news.”
Additionally, on March 3, Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz will square off in an exhibition match called The Netflix Slam at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. This is a historic day for the massive streaming service Netflix because it will be their first-ever live tennis broadcast.
After he makes it through the Doha and exhibition schedules, he might play at the Sunshine Double, where the Indian Wells Open takes place from March 6–17 and the Miami Open from March 21–31.
Or he could decide to skip the two ATP Masters 1000 hard-court competitions and focus on the clay-court circuit, where the Monte-Carlo Masters is anticipated to be his debut event starting on April 8.
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