Watch FIFA World Cup 2026™

LIVE, FREE and EXCLUSIVE

Nadal to return next month in Abu Dhabi

Rafael Nadal will make his comeback to competitive tennis in an exhibition tournament in the UAE next month.

Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal will make his comeback to competitive tennis in an exhibition tournament next month. (AAP)

Former world No.1 Rafael Nadal will return from a wrist injury to play an exhibition in late December in United Arab Emirates.

The 14-time grand slam champion said Monday on his Facebook page he will compete in the six-player, Mubadala World Tennis Championship.

The event is not connected to the ATP Tour and will be held in Abu Dhabi from December 29-31.

Newly crowned world No.1 Andy Murray is also scheduled to play, as is fourth-ranked Milos Raonic.

Last month, Nadal said he was cutting short his 2016 campaign to fully recover from an injured left wrist that sidelined him for more than two months this season.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

The 30-year-old Spaniard recently missed a tournament in Basel, Switzerland, and last week's Paris Masters. He also will miss the season-ending ATP Finals that begin Sunday in London.

Nadal said he intensified his recovery to play in the Rio Olympics in August, causing wrist pain in every tournament after that. He won the doubles gold medal in Rio. He lost in the singles semifinals and the third-place match.

Earlier in the year, the injury forced Nadal to withdraw from the French Open before the third round, while he skipped Wimbledon altogether.


2 min read

Published

Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world