22-time major winner Rafael Nadal will make his long-awaited return to tennis at the Paris Masters, his coach Carlos Moya has confirmed, in preparation for the ATP Finals.
The Spaniard, who has dealt with a plethora of injuries this year, last appeared on a tennis court to partner Roger Federer in his last-ever match at the Laver Cup. He did not play any further part in the remainder of the competition due to personal reasons, choosing to be with his wife, Mery Perello, for the birth of his son.
Moya has now confirmed that Paris Masters, a tournament Rafael Nadal has never won, will mark his return in preparations for the ATP’s finale in Turin from Nov. 13-20.
“Before arriving in Turin, you have to play matches in Paris, which are similar,” Moya told local TV.
“Rafa is competitive wherever he is and we go with hope and illusion.”
Nadal has enjoyed another prolific year with the additions of Australian and French Open titles to his trophy cabinet before an abdominal injury derailed his calendar-slam bid at Wimbledon. He returned in time for the US Open before falling to Francis Tiafoe in the round of 16.
The 36-year-old has won 4 titles in total this year as he looks to add a first ATP Finals crown to the list.
