Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal has confirmed that he will take the court on Tuesday for his first-round match at the Barcelona tournament against Italy's Flavio Cobolli , BTA reported.
37-year-old Nadal, who is a 12-time winner of the competition in the Catalan capital, will make a return to the court after a three-month absence.
"I came to Barcelona at the last minute because I wasn't sure if I would be able to play. But tomorrow I will certainly be on the court", said the Spaniard at a press conference.
The king of clay has not played on his favorite surface since June 2022, when he won for a record 14th time "Roland Garros". Last year, he missed all of the tournaments after the Australian Open due to hip surgery, prompting speculation that the end of his career was near.
Nadal himself did not deny that this is most likely his last season as a professional player, but added that he is not thinking about that moment yet and has not set an end date.
"I'll keep playing until I feel it's not worth it," he said.
The court on which the match between Nadal and Koboli will be played is named after Nadal himself.