Withdrawing from the French Open due to an injury in 2023, Rafael Nadal found himself unable to defend the points earned in 2022, resulting in a slip in his ranking to 664th. This downturn inadvertently played into the hands of his compatriot Jorge Martinez, who could not contain his excitement on being ranked a spot higher. However, Nada is all set for a comeback with Brisbane International, a tune-up event for the Australian Open.
Jorge Martinez Martinez, who competes on the ITF circuit, embarked on his professional tennis journey in 2012 and remains active on the ATP Challenger Tour. Surprisingly ranked one spot higher than the 22-time Major winner, the 26-year-old Spaniard shared a screenshot of the computed rankings from early November with his family. He even expressed his earnest desire for a doubles game with Rafael Nadal.
“It’s funny because I never thought I would be ahead of Rafa. I took a photo of the leaderboard and sent it to my family. I joked that now was the time to ask him to play doubles.” said the world No 663 speaking to MARCA.
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Rafael Nadal’s most recent appearance was at the 2023 Australian Open, where he made an exit in the second round enduring a hip strain . The significant time spent off the court subsequently pushed him beyond the top 600 ATP rankings, given his prolonged absence from the main tour throughout the year.
Nadal sustained the hip injury in his second-round defeat against Mackenzie McDonald. Following his time Down Under, he opted for arthroscopic surgery to address and recover from the injury.
Rafael Nadal all set for comeback:
Rafael Nadal has officially confirmed his comeback at the Brisbane International tournament, set to kick off on December 31, 2023. The Spanish tennis legend shared the news of his return to competitive play through a video message on his social media accounts. Notably, Nadal has previously participated in this 250-level tournament only once in his career.
The upcoming 2024 season is anticipated to mark Nadal’s final year as a professional tennis player. His remarkable career includes an impressive record of 14 French Open titles, four US Open titles, and two Australian Open and Wimbledon titles. Additionally, Nadal held the prestigious World No. 1 ranking for an astounding 209 weeks.
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