BRISBANE (Reuters) - Rafael Nadal returned to the tennis courts in Australia on Thursday (Dec 28), preparing for his first tournament since last year's Australian Open.
Nadal, a 22-time grand slam winner, is starting the road back from a hip injury sustained last January with his first appearance at the Brisbane International since 2017.
He hit the ball Thursday at the Queensland Tennis Centre, including a session with world No. 8 Holger Rune of Denmark.
Rune shared a photo of the joint practice on social media with the caption, "No time for jetlag. Evening practice with @RafaelNadal."
Due to his lack of tour play, Nadal has fallen to No. 672 in the world. The 37-year-old Spaniard previously said he expects this to be his final season on tour.
He will appear at the Brisbane tournament, which begins Sunday, as a wild card. He will be unseeded for the first time since January 2005.