The 2024 ATP tour will see new schedules at the Australian Open and other Masters 1000 events. The year’s opening grand slam will last 15 days for the first time in history. It will give players plenty of time to recover from marathon matches. Players can avoid injuries in the long run. Senior players like Rafael Nadal will favor longer schedules with resting periods.
Nadal has been preparing hard for his return to Melbourne, as revealed by his coach, Carlos Moya. Nadal has been struggling with injuries and has only played four matches this year. Moya spoke about Nadal’s future on the tour. He said, “I had the feeling that it could be the end, that he’d have no chance to play again. It was the most difficult time I’ve had with him.” Nadal has not played a match since January.
Moya felt that this had been his most challenging time with Nadal. The former world No.1 said that they were meticulous while preparing the plan for Nadal’s comeback on tour. The Brisbane International will be Nadal’s first event before the Australian Open. After the Australian Open, Nadal announced another event confirmation in his 2024 season calendar.
Rafael Nadal confirms presence for Barcelona Open 2024
Nadal has been training hard with youngsters in preparation for his return to the sport. The 14-time French Open champion has been under rehabilitation since August. A hip injury in January forced him to miss the rest of the season. He underwent surgery in June, and there are questions about retirement. Nadal admitted that it might be his last season on tour due to his physical condition.
Fans will be eager to see him play as many matches as possible, especially on clay. There was exciting news for the Nadal fans as he confirmed his participation at the 2024 Barcelona Open. Nadal has won a record 12 titles at Barcelona. He is the only player to win at Barcelona for five consecutive years. The center court honored Nadal by naming it after him.
Te hemos echado de menos, Rafa…@RafaelNadal @rctb1899 @atptour | #rafanadal #nadal #atp pic.twitter.com/Cf0NSXaKKH
— Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell (@bcnopenbs) December 18, 2023
It has been the first clay court event where Nadal has confirmed his participation. It will be the 16th time that Nadal will play at Barcelona. He last played in 2021, defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final. Hopefully, the 22-time grand slam champion will shine the brightest at Barcelona again. Nadal can contribute much more to his legacy in the next 12 months of the tour.