After his comeback at the Mubadala World Tennis Championships exhibition event, 20-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal had experienced a brief setback as he tested positive for COVID-19. This had put doubts over his trip to Melbourne.

But, the Spaniard was able to timely recover and fly to the land down under. The 1x AO Champion is currently preparing to play the ‘Melbourne Summer Set’ tournament alongside other stars like Reilly Opelka and Andy Murray.

Rafael Nadal patiently poses for selfies as he trains in gym

As part of his preparation, Nadal was seen training in a gym where people kept coming to him to take selfies. Talking about the same, American tennis player Taylor Townsend mentioned the gentle nature of Rafa in a discussion with Tennis Channel.

“He’s so nice. He is such a nice guy. But honestly, after a while, he will probably be like, ‘Ok, Guys, Let me cooldown’. People are excited to see him. I can’t blame them”. 

Nadal is the no.1 seed at the ATP 250 event in Melbourne which starts from the January 4th. The former world no.1 had to take a break due to a foot injury since the semi-final defeat to Novak Djokovic at the French Open.

Top Stories

Novak Djokovic Makes a Bold Coaching Move As He Looks the Challenge Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner in 2026

Russian Tennis Hit Hard as Another WTA Player Forfeits Citizenship

Aryna Sabalenka Breaks Silence on Nationality Switch After Belarus Representation Ban

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner Take Bizarre On-Court Decision as Australian Open Countdown Begins

Novak Djokovic Confirms Adelaide Return as Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner Set for Exhibition

Also read: ‘Going To Be an Incredible’: Taylor Townsend Provides Exciting Update Ahead of 2022 Season

While the Spaniard didn’t have to undergo surgery, he was forced to sit out of the grass-court season and was only available for the US hard-court summer. Notably, Nadal’s debut at the Citi Open didn’t end on a victorious note as he lost to Lloyd Harris in a three-set encounter.

Nadal will be looking to win his 21st major title at the Australian Open

The defeat forced Rafa to be out of action once again as he went back home in order to make a full recovery. As a result, the Spaniard had to skip the US Open and the other ATP tournaments that followed.

Perhaps Nadal chose to play Mubadala exhibition event to see the level at which he can operate. Despite losing both the outings, the Spaniard left the tournament with confidence as he gave his best in both the match-ups.

A much-awaited comeback from Rafael Nadal will add immense hype to the 2022 Australian Open as he tries to capture his 21st Grand Slam title.

Watch this story: Everything You Need to Know About Roger Federer’s Daily Routine