Is Rafael Nadal Playing the Australian Open 2022?

Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal has been one of the most successful players of all time on the men’s Tour. Over the years, Rafa has fought a number of injuries but always found a way to come back and continue his incredible journey.

Lately, Rafael Nadal has been sidelined by a foot injury that kept him out of the last two Grand Slam events of the 2021 season. He also missed the Tokyo Olympics. 

Rafael Nadal will compete at the Australian Open 2022

A couple of weeks ago, Rafael decided to compete in Abu Dhabi, at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship, giving him the ideal warm-up event, before heading towards Australia for the beginning of the new season.

However, things did not go according to plan, as he lost his encounter against Andy Murray and, upon returning to Spain, he tested positive for Covid-19. As a result, fans were skeptical if they would get the see the 20-time Grand Slam champion compete in the first Major event of the season.

Nonetheless, yesterday Nadal was seen on the practice courts engaging in some intense rallies. From the looks of it, the Spaniard looked in good shape and was striking the ball cleanly. He is scheduled to compete in the ATP 250 event in Melbourne prior to the Happy Slam and it has been confirmed, as per reports, that he’s headed to Australia.

This comes as great news for the organizers of the tournament as the World No. 1 Novak Djokovic still seems doubtful about defending his crown after pulling out of the ATP Cup 2022. 

Few prominent names are missing the Australian Open 2022 

As the tennis world is gearing up for the Australian Open 2022, let us look at some of the top players’ scenarios. Superstars Roger Federer and Serena Williams have decided to skip the event in order to recover completely from their respective injuries.

On the other hand, Andy Murray has received a wildcard, Naomi Osaka has already arrived in Australia, and with Nadal’s optimistic outlook, fans are sure to witness a treat in the first Grand Slam of the season.

With less than three weeks to go for the event, it will be interesting to see how things shape up in the coming days. Nonetheless, we wish all players the best of luck.

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