Nadal confirms Brisbane return from tennis layoff

Rafael Nadal will return to playing at the Brisbane International in January, the 22-time Grand Slam champion said on Friday.

"After one year outside of the tour, I think it is the right moment to be back," Nadal said in an emotive video posted on social media.

"So I feel ready to announce that I will be back in Brisbane the first week of the season."

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Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts after winning the third set against Daniil Medvedev of Russia during the men's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022.

The 37-year-old Spaniard has not played on tour since last January, when he hurt his hip flexor during a loss in the second round of the Australian Open.

His video announcing the comeback referenced the injury, with images of Nadal in pain and audio from a press conference at the time saying "I think I don't deserve to end like this".

"I believe I have worked hard all my sport life so that my end isn't here at this press conference," Nadal said.

"I am going to work hard to finish my career in the right way."

In May, a little more than a week before the start of the French Open, Nadal announced that he would miss the tournament he's won a record 14 times and wasn't exactly sure when he might return to play.

Nadal had said then that he hoped to compete in 2024, which he expected to be his final season.

"You never know how things will turn out," Nadal said at a news conference at the time, "but my intention is that next year will be my last year."

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He wound up having arthroscopic surgery in June in Barcelona.

Dating to the end of 2022, the Spanish left-hander has lost seven of his past nine matches, including going 1-3 this season.

Nadal's 22 Grand Slam singles titles rank second to Djokovic's 24 for the most among men.

Rafael Nadal during day one of the 2023 Australian Open.

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