"Tomorrow I will be on the court": Rafael Nadal moving forward with Barcelona Open return

On Monday, Rafael Nadal held a press conference at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell.

The 12-time champion was drawn to face Italy’s Flavio Cobolli over the weekend. Having practiced at the Real Club de Tennis Barcelona 1899 on multiple occasions in the event's lead up, Nadal confirmed to reporters that he will proceed with playing his first tournament since sustaining a new hip issue in Brisbane at the start of the season.

“I came here a bit of a last minute decision, because I didn't know if I was going to be able to play,” he said in a translation as quoted by Eurosport. “But tomorrow I will be on the court."

Nadal hasn’t played a clay-court contest since capturing a record-extending 14th Roland Garros crown in 2022. That year, the left-hander had missed both Monte Carlo and Barcelona to continue nursing a rib injury that he picked up in an Indian Wells final defeat to Taylor Fritz—and later went out in the quarterfinals of Madrid (lost to Carlos Alcaraz) and third round of Rome (lost to Denis Shapovalov).

The 37-year-old holds a 66-4 lifetime record at the ATP 500 event. Nadal triumphed the last time he appeared in 2021 over Stefanos Tsitsipas, memorably staving off a championship point to edge out the Greek in a gripping final.

“Today, I feel myself, good enough to be on court tomorrow. That for me is so important,” Nadal said during the English portion of his presser. “It means a lot to me to play one more time here in Barcelona, in a place that I have amazing success and a lot of unforgettable memories.”

While it’s likely 2024 will mark his final year on tour following an 11-month injury layoff last year that led to undergoing surgery on his left hip flexor, Nadal hasn’t set a definitive timeline for hanging up his racquet. Should the home favorite advance past Cobolli, fourth seed Alex de Minaur awaits.

Two-time reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz withdrew Sunday, causing Fabian Marozsan to be moved in his slot at the top of the draw as the No. 17 seed.