Rafael Nadal was the earliest to depart from the scene in 2023 after a crushing defeat in the second round of the Australian Open.
But Nadal is leading the charge of those players who are set to usher in the new tennis calendar in the opening week of January 2024. The Spaniard will make his long-awaited return to tennis at the Brisbane International, a 250 event being held in Queensland, Australia, that is also making a comeback.
The Brisbane International has not been held since 2019 on the men’s tour, but there is no better way to herald a fresh start than bagging quite possibly the most charismatic tennis player of his generation.
A 32-player singles will grace the courts in Brisbane with Nadal being the headline act for the event which begins in earnest on December 31, 2023. So far, five ATP stars including Nadal have been confirmed for this tournament.
Because Nadal’s ranking has dropped as low as 663 (the lowest he’s ever been since 2002), he is not going to get any seeding status. It is unclear whether Nadal is playing in Brisbane as a wild card or cashing in on his protected ranking.
But that doesn’t give him any luxury of a cushy first-round match as it could very well be a top seed. Former World No. 1 and two-time Brisbane champion Andy Murray is a player that he could meet following the Briton’s confirmation of his first stop of 2024.
Nadal leads their head-to-head 17-7, but Murray has fared well against him outside clay throughout their rivalry. Denmark’s Holger Rune is the highest-ranked player who has entered the field and has never faced off against the 22-time Grand Slam champion.
There is also the possibility he could play Grigor Dimitrov, whom he has beaten 14 times in 15 matches, or Ben Shelton, a young lefty, who has been compared to Nadal very recently.
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