Rafael Nadal makes comeback from injury and doesn’t rule out continuing beyond 2024

Rafael Nadal made his injury comeback on Sunday, playing in his first match since last January when he took to the court with doubles partner Marc Lopez at the Brisbane International, and didn’t rule out continuing to play after this year.

Rafael Nadal made his long-awaited injury comeback on Sunday, playing in his first match since January when he took to the court with doubles partner Marc Lopez at the Brisbane International - and he didn’t rule out continuing to play after the 2024 season. Although the Spanish pair lost 6-4 6-4 to Australians Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson, Nadal unleashed some powerful winners, moving more freely around the court after undergoing hip surgery to treat the injury that forced him to miss most of last season. The 22-time grand slam champion has battled a series of injuries of late and said in May that 2024 will likely be his last year on tour but, on Sunday, he didn’t rule out continuing past this date. “The problem about saying it’s going to be my last season is that I can’t predict what’s going on 100% in the future. That’s the thing,” Nadal said ahead of his comeback match, according to Reuters. “That’s why I say probably. “It’s obvious it’s a high percentage that it’s going to be my last time playing in Australia. But if I’m here next year, don’t tell me, ‘You said it’s going to be your last season,’ because I didn’t say it,” he added. “You never know what’s going on, you know? I can’t predict how I’m going to be in the next six months. I can’t predict if my body will allow me to enjoy tennis as much as I enjoyed the past 20 years.”