Rafael Nadal teases fans of clay court return after posting intense training video

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Spanish tennis superstar Rafael Nadal hinted at his clay court comeback after posting his training video clip on Instagram on March 19, 2024.

Out of action since the Brisbane International, the 22-time Grand Slam champion is looking to make his way in the upcoming Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters which runs from April 6-14, 2024, in Monaco.

Although tournament director David Massey didn’t release Nadal’s entry in the official list of participants, the sports official said that he is optimistic that the living legend will join and confirm in the upcoming days.

Monte Carlo is one of Nadal’s most favorite tournaments to join after winning a record of 11 titles in Monaco in 17 total competition appearances.

Overall, Nadal only lost six times and won 73 matches since joining Monte Carlo. Throughout his illustrious career in Monaco, the Spanish already took home a total of $7.9 million as prize money.

However, Nadal and his camp are yet to respond to any rumors of him joining Monte Carlo after dealing with several injuries in the past months.

Nadal initially planned to return during the 2024 Qatar ExxonMobil Open last February 14, 2024 but decided to pull out late.

In a collective decision with his coaches, Nadal postponed his active tennis comeback after sustaining a hip injury he suffered in Brisbane.

After his convincing performance at Brisbane, Nadal announced his withdrawal from the 2024 Australian Open.

“Hi all. During my last match in Brisbane, I had a small problem on a muscle that as you know, made me worried. Once I got to Melbourne, I have had the chance to make an MRI and I have a micro tear on a muscle, not in the same part where I had the injury and that’s good news,” Nadal posted on X.