Having been added to the tournament’s entry list, Rafael Nadal is certain to make a return at the Qatar Open in February. At the Brisbane International, the Spaniard made his comeback to tennis after nearly a year, defeating Dominic Thiem and Jason Kubler in straight sets to go to the quarterfinals. Here, he faced Jordan Thompson and, despite holding a match point, lost 5-7, 7-6(6), 6-3.
During the match, the King of Clay sustained a microtear in his hip area, which prevented him from competing in the Australian Open. Nadal will, however, make a comeback in February during the Qatar Open in Doha, which is part of the Middle Eastern rotation.
The ATP 250 event’s entry list features the Spaniard with several elite players, including Andy Murray, Daniil Medvedev, and the reigning champion. In Doha, competitors including Karen Khachanov, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, and Alexander Bublik will also take part.
Due to his withdrawal from the Australian Open, Rafael Nadal’s ATP ranking will drop to 647th. The Spaniard has been active even if he doesn’t play in Melbourne Park. Nadal has agreed to serve as an ambassador for the Saudi Tennis Federation. At his Mallorcan academy, he also met up with Roger Federer, his buddy and opponent.
When did Rafael Nadal last compete in the Qatar Open?
In 2016, the King of Clay made his most recent outing as the second seed at the Qatar Open. To get to the final, he overcame Ilya Marchenko, Andrey Kuznetsov, Robin Haase, and Pablo Carreno Busta. Here, Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal 6-1, 6-2. Rafael Nadal has participated in the Qatar Open frequently and won one championship there. He debuted in 2005 and advanced to the tournament’s quarterfinals before falling to Ivan Ljubicic, who finished as the runner-up that year.
Before taking home his lone championship in Doha in 2014, he was eliminated in the semifinals in 2011 and 2012. Before facing Gael Monfils for the championship, Nadal defeated Lukas Rosol, Tobia Kamke, Ernests Gulbis, and Peter Gojowczyk.
