Rafa Nadal has chosen a young star for his first day in Brisbane

Rafael Nadal He arrived in Brisbane to speed up his preparations for his reappearance on the circuit, which will take place in the ATP 250 category tournament that will take place in this Australian city from December 31 to January 7.

After simulating competition sets first in Kuwait and later in his academy, against rivals he will meet again on the ATP Tour, the 37-year-old from the Balearic Islands faces the challenge of regaining his best level after nearly a year out with an iliac psoas injury in his left leg that sent him to the operating room in June.

Manacorí began training in Brisbane, with Carlos Moya and Marc López pending the technical side, with Rafa Maymó making sure Nadal’s body is ready.

Rafa Nadal will know in the Spanish dawn of Saturday the 30th who his first opponent is, who he will face in his first match since he lost to the American. Mackenzie McDonald in the second round of the 2023 Australian Open.

After the first adaptation session, Nadal faced one of the current young stars, the Danish Holger Rune, who will start as the first seed in the competition. At 20 years old, number 8 in the world, he wants to fight Carlos Alcaraz and Jannick Sinner, and after the German signing Boris Becker He also joined his team with the Swiss Severin Luthiwho stayed with his friend Roger Federer for many years.

Rafael Nadal He entered the picture with an invitation from the organization because he was ranked 672 in the world ranking. They can be paired with anyone in the opening round as they are not seeded due to their low classification. He will retain the protected rank, No. 9, to access some tournaments, such as the Australian Open, but in draws the current position in the ATP list rules.